Business cards can contribute significantly to an efficient marketing plan. Designing a business card is not difficult and it doesn’t cost too much, which makes it one of the most powerful tools of marketing strategists. Remember – you cannot place all important information about your company on that card. What you need is an excellent design that will create memorable, professional impression about your work. Impression – that’s the right word! For many customers, a business card will be the first and most important impression of your activity. Running a well organized business with poorly designed business card is like wearing an elegant suit with a poor briefcase. How to design a business card – make it cool!
Design your business card in a way which will respond to the futuristic requirements of the market. As we all know, graphic design is developing with a rocket speed, and the updated business card design is the lucrative proof of it. The best way to decide how to design a business card is to follow the example of big corporations, which employ a professional approach and use cards as opportunities to draw attention to their products/services. Why should you create your own business cards?
We must admit though, that business card usage had a major drawback in recent years-people decide more and more to use technology and to store contacts in their phones, instead of collecting cards. Let me give you two reasons to design your business card:
Make it stylish!
We could all agree that most business cards are not interesting. Perhaps, it is not their purpose to be so. However, outstanding industries handle this problem quite well, as they employ excellent designers to make their brand stand out. We are not discussing shiny, overdone and unrealistic cards, but rather something that looks sophisticated and can brag with excellent functionality. The main point is to balance looks and performance in order to create the best business card designs. A sneak-peak into basics
Basic business cards usually contain a plain white/beige background and bold black text. As simple as it sounds, this approach guarantees utility. It is a great idea for those responding to basic market needs, whose customers could hardly be impressed by fancy looks and excessive information. Go basic if you think that your customers want nothing, but the essential information. Imagery cardsSometimes, putting your photo on a business card (or even a caricature, when your business allows it) can be helpful for people to remember you and to recognize your work. Applying images of photos and services can be even better, as it helps people associate your company with a particular sector and to understand your work even without further explaining. Black and white cards could also use bold color splashes, so that people would understand you’re there to make a difference. Non standard cards
This is a wide-choice area that provides a lot of space to employ creativity. You want to be unique? Pay attention to how the card feels, rather than how it looks. Use non standard materials (wood, cotton) or design some interesting shapes (rounded edges, folds, etc). However, have in mind these cards can be really costly, compared to the normal ones. Multifunctional cards
Its true-most people will throw the card in some corner and they will not remember to use it when the time comes. That’s why you have to consider multifunctional cards, which promote your brand, but serve another purpose at the same time. You can provide cards with valuable information (calendars, timetables), discount coupons, or currency lists. Long story short-think about everything your customer may need. Look at some valuable examples-hotels encourage people to visit them with a location map, while gas stations include a list of all additional services they provide. The more purposeful your card is, the more interesting it will become. Original cards
Originality is something everybody desires. Your business card can be the excellent tool, as long as you’re passionate enough to design it properly. You can employ a well thought business card layout with fancy details, extravagant means or rich colors-as long as it keeps up with your budget, there are no restrictions. Time to create your own business card
Before you start, think that your business card is the personalization of your business-it has to reflect the quality of your work; the history of your brand; and it has to tell an interesting story that customers will like. Basic tips for designing a business cardThink about size
Take a standard format (3.5 x 2 inches) which can easily fit inside the wallet. Making a smaller one (if you wish to include less information) could be a good idea, but including a larger one will hardly make users want to keep it. Include readable information It’s not enough to include all the basic information-use fonts and sizes that are readable, and can help potential customers to locate and to contact you. Find a way to impress customers
Think about it – does your card look as professional and passionate as you are? What would you think if you saw the same card coming from another brand? Is it the real card for your business? Is there something you can do to improve it? The initial 10 seconds make it or break it. It is the very moment when clients build long-lasting opinions about your work. Sounds ungrateful, but that’s how it is-we’re humans and we judge the book by its cover. Don’t worry – it is not Mission impossible. There are tricks and tactics to use to create a professional business cards and which can make your card interesting and could even distract customers from flaws you don’t want to be seen. The W-set: What, Who, Where, Why?
We might be repeating this, but it is very important-the essential factor of a good card is the information it contains. The best way is to pack names, addresses, logos and job titles; and to display them in an understandable manner. Once again, don’t exaggerate with information-you want to balance between contact data and clear, beautiful appearances. If not sure, stick to the essentials: Name, website, email address, and phone number/s. Trends don’t necessarily concern you
There are many trends, pitfalls, and even misconceptions people tend to follow when designing a business card. For instance, you may think that a 3mm bleed, as provided by the printer, is your solution. Don’t do it right away, but check whether it actually suits your style and whether you can do it. A commonly followed approach is to design cards with sharp borders, in order to avoid misalignment, Guess what? If you did the alignment properly, borders really don’t play a role. Readability
Between too much information and too small typeface, the typeface size is not the thing you should cut. Resist this temptation and exclude information you think is not so essential. Be careful with it-text will look more readable on screen than it does on paper, and you don’t want corrections once it is done. Let’s say that the best option is 8pt. No borders If you can, avoid borders completely. They may look stylish and elegant, but they can produce a ‘lop-sided’ effect once they are cut. Most printers have an already established margin for separating your cards, and it might happen that just few millimeters will destroy the visual result you were expecting. Colors or no colors?
The same as in other design branches, bright colors can be a helpful tool to stand out and to deliver successful messages, Besides, they can make people recognize you and distinct you from all similar providers on the market. However, brave color games are only for those who professionalized in them, and they are the only ones that can create something exiting and original, and not kitschy. It doesn’t mean, however, that simplicity has no advantages. A powerful black and white contrast can even be more memorable, and it is often perceived as more sophisticated. More information That is why you have the back side of your card-write everything you think would be useful for your customer. Put your personal data or social media links, or define precisely your job space. You’re absolutely free to organize this information however you like. When it comes to content, don’t forget email addresses, phone numbers, websites, etc. You can also use QR codes, to make the web information look good and accessible. Imagery An image is worth 1000 words. That’s especially correct when it comes to awesome business cards. Assuming you already included vital information, you can use the other side to apply more visual tools. It could be a photo of your product, resources, or whatever that is related to your business. If you have a logo, don’t forget to include it. At the end of the day, the important thing is to fill the space, because people are very likely to look at it too. Hiring professional helpHiring a professional for designing the coolest business cards is obviously the best choice, but it’s not like all of us could afford it. In fact, with some modest knowledge and big-time motivation, and you could create a personal card on your own. Double-checkingIt’s not just about cards; it is about every paper masterpiece! Check it as many times as you repute necessary, before you send it for printing. You certainly don’t want to notice there was a tying mistake once you’ve printed and delivered it. How To Create A Brand Image With A Business CardAs you probably know already, the brand is the sum of all experiences with a particular product or service which is building both reputation and future expectations of benefit. Building your brand as a designer isn’t an easy task and you should be very careful about it because your image and your future income depend on it. One way of branding yourself is through a business card which isn’t just a calling card, but a snapshot of your brand. People are aware that business cards tell a story and they are influenced by that story about you and your work. If you do it right, you will transmit the essence of your brand and it can be a sales piece, a mini ad for your services. However, if you fail at creating a good business card, yours will just be one of many that are forgotten or thrown in the garbage. You should know, if you don’t already, that a memorable card creates a memorable brand. If you are the kind of person who goes at conferences or meets with various people you should have a memorable business card. The people that you are giving cards to already have dozens of them at the end of the day and you have to give them a reason to keep yours or remember you. Most of the times, during a so called networking session a person will be unable to associate the faces of the people that he met with the business cards he received. Of those many cards, he will remember only a few which are standing out from the crowd. Developing a great brandA vital role in how a market perceives your brand is played by the mixture of colors, fonts and style. The visual elements of the brand need to be considered very carefully if you want them to have a positive impact on your potential clients. The visual element that you should start with is color because it plays a big role in the decision that your potential clients will make. The colors that you choose will resonate and create an association with your brand. The meaning of colors are generally the same, but they can be radically different in some places of the world, like the Asian countries. If the people that you are giving business cards to are from North America, Europe or Australia, then you should know the meaning of colors for your audience:
Another element that is important in building your brand is the font selection. Fonts are important in establishing the brand image and promoting the brand personality. Each font has its unique way of generating an emotion and it is important to choose the right one for your audience. For example, serif fonts have a serious style and can be used to transmit sophistication and strength. Sans-serif fonts are not perceived as serious as serif ones, but that doesn’t mean that they are frivolous. Instead their image that they are creating is sleek and modern. There are people that are advocating for script or handwriting fonts and are stating that their usage on business cards delivers an interesting effect, but the truth is that a handwriting font will only make a business card harder to read. Regular size or something totally different?The standard size of business cards is 2″ x 3.5″ due to a lot of factors. People are generally conservative about the size of the card, especially because its size is recognizable as of a business card’s. The other reason for this size’s popularity is the lower price than of one’s with a strange shape. If it is cheaper, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t opt for an ordinary one. On the contrary, you should better pay a little bit more to get a more interesting card. There are modern printing and cutting techniques that can deliver even the weirdest shape that you can think of. PrintingIt won’t come as a shock when I’ll tell you that digital printing is the most common way of printing business card these days, being done with inkjet technology or laser printers. Besides the digital printing methods, there are also other interesting methods which could deliver a really good results. One way of printing cards is with the help of a letterpress. This can be a little bit expensive, but it creates an insanely beautiful effect that will surely be remembered by a person who is used to seeing a lot of flat cards. Contact informationYou should try making your business card uncluttered. To do this you will have to avoid adding unnecessary details like your address. Nobody cares about that anymore because you won’t receive physical mails and if a meeting would take place, details like the location will be discussed over phone. The necessary fields should be:
There are people who manage to squeeze fields like twitter username or a slogan, but that is either being done on the back of the business card or by sacrificing the space between the elements. Business card examples and ideasA person’s business card can be considered one of the most important marketing tools that he has. With it, you are giving you contact information to potential clients or existing customers to make them loyal. In order for the business card to do its desired job, it must be professional, attractive and memorable. This can be certainty if you make sure you follow a set of rules. For starters, your logo must be simple and symbolic to your company’s services and the industry that is associated with. Placing your website and email is a must. People will be searching for a website where to look for more information about you and your business and also for an email if they want to contact you. If you’re missing these two, you would better keep the cards to yourself, cause handing them to people would be useless. It is important for your card to be attractive and memorable. Try to think about the fact that some people receive hundreds of business cards from various individuals and they rarely remember any of them. Making your business card memorable is really important. Another thing that I’ve noticed people tend to appreciate in business cards is their quality. Your image is reflected by your one of your creative business cards and if you have one with a good paper quality and colors, the first impression of a possible client will be far better than from a regular business card. You’ll find a lot of interesting business cards examples below. Hopefully, one of these business card design ideas will help you design your own unique piece. TRUF Creative imagine: Apple iMac Business Card Cyla Costa Sanda Jelicic Madult (3D Glasses Business Card) Andrew Barron: Custom Stamp Business Card Caroline Biosvert Tiny Twiggette Flowers by Dolly Baywood Cinic: Tattoo Removal Business Card JUKES DESIGN Paul Johns dken Henry Billington Alexandra Whitter Mystique CARVD Michele Brusasca Leah VanWettering Crius Energy Cinema Candy Pierre Desmarais Megacultural Rodaq The Black Mongrels Martina Flor Ubiquitous Confiance Garantie Winery (Cork Business Cards) The Company You Keep Hello Elo Daniel B. Marques Stainless Steel Business Card Rust and Martin Interior Design The Highbrow The Happy Salon Lucian Bern Hard Match Point Studio Miguel Otero Fuentes Jerod Squared Man About Town The Shayne Co Robert Teague TrafficGenie Ayako Okada Lure Hair Ai Portici Loose Collective Vision Center Blink Eirik Sorensen Lea Alcantara Sassen Design Ninja BTL Secret Agent Man Sharp ideas Translucent Photographer Business Card The Gamut Sapphire Ring Co. Fox & Rose Orange Chad Smith Mathias Tanguy Moss Optical The Number Mill Telegraph Lia Martini Afroditi Jewelry Pablo Abad Peter Gaillard Si Maclennan Hot Popsicle Space Invaders Genius Division Kthim Roland Martial Sylvia Prats Pinkograf Zynga Sean Adams LEONARDO ZAKOUR Alan McCormack Luke Lucas Laser Creative New Frontier Group Object Inc. IS Creative Studio Strange But Efficient Business CardsMost people forget about a person’s business card because in many cases you tend to see a dull, simple and common one. But there are some people who don’t just make or ask for a creative custom design, but also for a creative shape or something that other people haven’t thought about when making a business card. These examples of business cards that are out of the ordinary are a sure thing when it comes to business cards because you will definitely remember them and also the person who owns it. I have never thought in my early designing days that I’ll see good business cards design created from a different material than paper, but I’m happy that I was proven wrong later when I saw cards made of cloth, plastic, metal and even wood. Out of the ordinary helps a lot for your business in this case and if you are in a creative domain, it will surely earn you some points, proving that you have imagination and a good source of business card design inspiration. Enjoy the following cool business cards. Jose Rodriguez Pastelz Sergio Freitas Jean Baptiste Gouraud Cube 3 Club Creative Business Card DesignsIt’s hard to imagine how difficult it is to create a business card that has an out of the box design, outrageous or not, but memorable at least. Most of the times designers find themselves very enthusiastic about what they’re working on, but in the end they realize that what they’ve designed is nothing more than ordinary. Designing an ordinary one isn’t necessarily bad if you stick to some standards, rules and guidelines of designing a business card, but what you want for your client and, especially, what the wants for himself is to have a great business card, not just a regular one. The client wants a business card that stands out of the crowd and makes his image memorable. A good step that you could take for assuring that you have the basis for creating an awesome business card design is to read tips, tricks and guidelines from professionals that have been in this industry for a while. Another good step would be to have in your memory a bundle of great business card ideas and trends that they follow. Bentply Color and the Kids Root + Branch Boardinker Square Eastside Music Bag Avenue Yeti Frozen Custard John Russell Sasha Pikula Total Content Brand Architects Checkthis CARVD Boolab The High Five Workspace Obllique Chiara Ceccaioni Rich Brilliant Willing The Wellgro Co. Henry Billington Banjo Music Attido Fundamental Rama Estudio Taller Luciano Balzano Cinzia Fortuna Mind Your Business Piping Hot Fat Cow Frederic Tourrou Gema Architecture & Interior Design DIncense Ryan Johnstone Electrical Alternate Expressions Sabrina Mais Pilates USB Memory Direct Domestic Construction Patrick Offczorz Dustin Friesen Youngha Park Frank The Tank Alex Lopez D Shyama Golden Frantisek Krivda Loulou Dreaming Thirty Dirty Fingers Artcadia Ricotta & Parmesan Alex Thomas Sergio Freitas Jean Baptiste Gouraud Anstudio Kelli Fox Razor’s Edge Geotypografika Mahyar Zaker Jafary Koodoz Design Junpiter Futbol Pour Elle Olivier Pineda Nick Mealey StockPodium BizzyIzzy Hero Let’s Fox Web Design Harlow Carl Åsman Tatsuya Aoki DesignNine Media Limited Activa Media Ending thoughts
We live in a digital world, where paper cards seem to have lost their importance. However, they’re still in full possession of their functionality and they are the main representations of your business and your brand’s professional identity. Business cards matter because they create a good/bad first impression and they contribute to the company’s development. Therefore, if you’re different; your company is different; and they way in which you perform your work is different-share this with as many people as you possibly can. The formality of business cards is a guarantee for reliance and confidentiality. Well-structured and clear information will secure credibility and excellent communication with your customers. As you see, the best business cards are more than artwork. They are good-looking marketing means which convey information for a purpose. It is up to you to decide whether you can benefit from the opportunity, and to design them according to your goals. from http://www.designyourway.net/blog/design/best-business-card-designs-cool-examples-and-ideas/
1 Comment
WordPress is highly popular, and it can be easily customized with themes and plugins. It has become the most widely used CMS in the web designer’s world. There is probably a plugin available for whatever you may want to accomplish in terms of added functionality when creating a website. In fact, there are many plugins that perform similar or identical tasks; and there are so many in fact, that finding the “best ones” can be a real challenge. We’ve done most of the work for you in finding the very best WordPress plugins for use in certain categories of web design and website maintenance. They can make your 2017 website activities more smoothly, and improve the quality or performance of your deliverables. wpDataTablesThere are plenty of apps you can use to build tables and charts, but none quite like what the wpDataTables plugin can do for your website building and maintenance activities. One of the problems with many table-building apps is that, should a table or chart become outdated, it’s not always easy to bring it up to date. Plus, there are often limitations on the amounts of data you can work with, and how easy that data is to access. None of these problems exist when you have wpDataTables in your tool kit. This plugin delivers interactive, responsive tables that can be edited in real time; and editing is no more difficult than doing so in Excel. Charts can be created from tables as well. They are also real-time editable, plus, you can highlight, in color, selected data on a chart, or in a table. As a further bonus, MySQL Server allows you to access and manage huge amounts of data at lightning speed. Content TimelineHow content is presented can often be nearly as important as getting it right in the first place. The Content Timeline plugin enables you to present content in a sliding timeline by using drag and drop functionality. The slider concept makes it easier for you to manage your content, and makes content searching easier for users. The sliding content timelines you create will be responsive, customizable, and easily editable. You can change the sequence of content blocks in your timeline, add or delete blocks, and edit a block within its own window. A content timeline can be an ideal way to manage posts, which can be sorted by date and/or by category. Swipe functionality is a feature that has been added for the benefit of viewers on laptops, tablets, and other devices. LayerSliderLayerSlider is used by hundreds of thousands of web creatives. You will also find this plugin used in WordPress themes, although often in an abbreviated form in terms of functionality. The standalone plugin offers significant design and productivity benefits, and is priced competitively among similar products. Since LayerSlider is particularly rich in the types of transitions and animations offered, it is easy to create unusual, entertaining, and stunning visual effects. You can, for example, split text by lines, words, and even by characters to create flying letters effect. Looping layers with additional Yo-yo effect, adding hover activated transitions, or using parallax effect when you are scrolling the page or tilting your mobile device are not difficult to incorporate in your web designs, nor are stackable transitions or multistep animations. To sum it up; LayerSlider is extremely flexible, easy to work with, and gives you excellent value for your money. Wordfence SecurityNot all web design platforms provide the security tools you might like to have, Wordfence Security gives you that protection. Its Web Application Firewall protects you against hacking, and Wordfence Scan and Live Traffic alert you hacking attempts on your WordPress website that might be in progress. The level of security provided is worth $$. Wordfence Security is open-source however, and 100% free! Logic HopLogic Hop is a powerful new plugin that brings personalization to WordPress. Finally there’s a way to easily build call-to-action conditions that display the right message, to the right person, at the right time. Using real-time data and visitor behaviors, Logic Hop gives you the ability to target individual users and show them custom content and calls-to-action. Perfect for marketers and ecommerce websites, Logic Hop is a must-have plugin! Try it risk-free for 14 days. W3 Total CacheW3 Total Cache is a “must have” WP plugin if you’re serious about significantly improving website performance, and reducing page load times. W3 Total Cache is highly recommended by many in the web design and development, and website hosting sectors. The benefits can be many, including improved search engine rankings and conversion rates, especially for mobile-friendly websites. WooThumbs – Awesome Product ImageryThe WooThumbs Awesome Product Imagery plugin is a great choice for adding a little pizzazz to your product pages, or to your one page website. A first-rate photo of a product is good to have; almost imperative in fact. With WooThumbs, you can add multiple images, including video. You can feature product variations or usage with a carousel or slider, or use zoom effects to give a user an up close and personal look. Final Tiles Gallery“Modular”, in design, often translates as being easier, or more efficient. Final Tiles Gallery is a WP plugin that lets you build your gallery around a unique grid layout, and place your images in a modular fashion. Each module features an image size and aspect ratio of your choosing. Final Tiles Gallery is one of the most widely used WP plugins in the professional photography sector. Yellow PencilYellow Pencil is a frontend Visual CSS Style editing WordPress plugin that makes customizing your website all that much easier. You can edit your website in real time, with more than 50 CSS properties and features, ranging from font families and flat and material color palettes, to backgrounds and animations, and special effects. A free version is available on a trial basis. Summing up Whether you’re trying to make life easier for yourself, your website users, or both, there should be something here of value. This selection of WP plugins gives you functionality you can use to protect your website, improve its performance, add some pizzazz, create a unique-appearing gallery, visually edit in real time, and more. A couple of these plugins are free. Most others offer a free trial. They all give you great value for your money. from http://www.designyourway.net/blog/misc/excellent-wordpress-plugins-to-use-in-your-2017-projects/ Sounds challenging, doesn’t it? It is difficult to improve your conversion rate, especially if we remember how difficult it is to develop (and execute) such marketing strategies which bring visitors in the store to start with. You might have grabbed the attention of millions, but that won’t reward your marketing struggle unless there is a purchase. Your visitors should become your customers or clients. Otherwise, your business will become an endless black hole, which drains your money and time, but doesn’t reward the effort. Therefore, the task is to encourage people to purchase our product/service. Here are few tricks that can help us: There must be a reason why visitors are not buying your productsRegardless of whether it is a product, service or information, you’re still a vendor on the web. The same challenge counts for you too: How to inspire people to buy more? How to inspire people to buy at the first place? The first thing you need to do is to develop a realistic image about your online conversions. If you feel something is missing, you’re probably right. And it is not necessarily related to your web design. So, go ahead and wake up emotions. Motivate complete strangers to click on your homepage and ask them what they think and what they want to do. Improve the moment by adding a list of products/services which can really improve their lives. Turning visitors into customers – How to do it?Provide irresistible content
Promote it as much as you want – if it is not good, it will not be purchased. You need to thrill your audience with awesome content and to provide quality as the leading marketing tool. It is the beginning of all your efforts-providing something that is breathtaking and everyone wants to have it. Choose valuable words. Use extraordinary order. Be as visual as you can and leave nothing to imagination. Present your information with interesting videos or slideshows. Include exiting people and experiences. It is the best way to test the results of your product and to share pleasant experiences with as many people as possible. Make sure customers know exactly what you are offering
Conversion rate optimization is possible only when all of your customer’s questions are answered. They will only make the purchase when they are sure what they are getting. That’s how people buy-they don’t hold to a product they know nothing about. Give as many details as you can. Don’t hesitate to include more than one photo and make it a high quality one, so that they can see the product from every possible angle. If you’re introducing a promotional price, make sure you’re including the original one for comparison. You are also expected to develop an outstanding communication method, in order to make sure customers have all information they need. Identify the wishes of your visitors A successful marketing strategy must begin with the wishes of visitors. If you manage to discover them, you’ll be able to generate sales even without the perfect strategy. If you fail, nothing you do will be enough to generate profit. Service providers rarely have problems doing it. They interact directly with customers and they have a clear overview on their needs, problems, wishes, or dislikes. Every strategist should have the same in mind – using information to improve the current offer and to develop new ones. Beware; it will be a challenging and continuous process. It will require testing and fast reaction when mistakes happen. Here come a couple of questions that can help you identify the wishes of your users:
An urgent ‘must buy’ We can all agree – customers are sensitive to short deadlines and limited quantities. We need to convince them they are about to lose a precious offer unless they act immediately. Basically, the feeling of urgency can increase website conversions: limited time for buying, restricted quantity, special offers. Pop ups People either love them or hate them. Sometimes, strategists need to be persistent and to convince customers to go for their products/services. They might be hated, but are incredibly efficient. A study conducted by Nikki McGonigal returned 1,375% more subscribers through a popup than through a sidebar form. This is especially helpful when a customer likes and appreciates your offer, but he is not sure whether to buy something at that particular moment. If an interesting pop up appears on the screen to capture his attention, you are very likely to make a deal. However, it is up to you to decide whether this is a suitable tactic for your brand. Have realistic expectations on your conversion rate optimization-with an average conversion rate of 2%, you lack 98% of customers; if with a pop up, the rate increases to 7% (which is very likely), you are gaining 5 out of 100 customers on your mailing list. You want customers’ email addresses? Offer something in return! You can give them order discounts, shipping facilitations, or lower subscription rates. Try using AdWords AdWords is Google’s largely famous pay-per-click ad network that enables retailers on the web to share their advertisements on Google’s search pages or YouTube. Customers will appreciate your top-ranking presence and they will feel confident to purchase your products. The best side of AdWords is its reach – it is fast and massive. With AdWords, you could launch a successful ad campaign in only few minutes and see your textual messages, pictures or video spreading successfully all over the web. AdWords gives you a large number of options. For instance, you can introduce targeted advertisement which will appear only on particular browsers, or whenever a keyword is being researched. You can also choose for your ad to be triggered on particular websites or when a visitor is browsing for related terms. Online stores from now onOnline store owners should never give up on improving their customer’s experience. In this aspect, it is essential to communicate with users and to be able to estimate their experience. The most efficient way to achieve this is to contact ‘part-way’ customers, to interview potential customers and to rely repeatedly on most loyal users. What can also be helpful is to observe the first-hand experience – in such way, you can deal with all usability troubles that may arise. The number of customers who do online shopping is increasing every day. Apply the techniques explained here and help an even larger proportion of the visitors to become buyers. from http://www.designyourway.net/blog/web-design/how-to-improve-your-conversion-rate/ Apple devices and their accessories look great no matter what some might say. Design is considered an important part when engineering a product for this brand and that’s an amazing thing for us, consumers. Apple has created a lot of cool gadgets and accessories for them in the past decade. Third party manufacturers have done the same as well. This is why why have now so many cool Macbook pro accessories now. In this article, I tried adding the best Macbook pro accessories. These are not exclusive to Macbook pro. They are also iMac accessories and Macbook air accessories. elago Multy USB-C HubThe Aluminum Charging Multi Hub USB-C now offers a USB-C Port enabling your 12-inch Macbook, 13-inch & 15-inch All-new MacBook Pro to be charged while the adapter is plugged in.
Want free collections of gadgets, apps and more? Simply subscribe and get free tech articles straight to your inbox.
Thanks to the Aluminum Charging Multi Hub USB-C pass through USB Hub, you can charge your Macbook as well as easily convert a Type-C USB port to two USB 3.0 ports, SD card slot, and a Micro SD card slot. It makes your 12-inch Macbook, 13-inch & 15-inch All-new MacBook Pro to experience more fascinating then you can ever imagine. 100×100 (mm) in size and weighs less than 25g making it the ideal traveling buddy. The multi hub is manufactured with the same high-grade aluminum material and the same surface treatment method as the MacBook. Not only the perfect traveling buddy, but one that matches too! This is one of those accessories for Macbook that you absolutely need to have. AUKEY USB-C to USB 3.0 AdapterAnother one of these Macbook accessories is this next generation of USB tech. A small reversible connector designed to support a new wave of faster, more efficient power delivery, capable of 10x faster data transfer speeds than USB 2.0. Connects USB-A (flash drives, keyboards, mice) to USB-C devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops). Convenient reversible connector that plugs in the right way 100% of the time. Supports USB OTG – Plug in and use computer peripherals like a flash drive, keyboard, hub, or mouse with your USB-C equipped phone or tablet. Compatible with Macbook 12”, Chromebook Pixel, Nexus 6P and other USB-C devices. Leather MacBook Sleeve by Capra LeatherHandcrafted, and stitched with great attention to detail, the full grain leather maintains the natural marks that make each case unique. Design features:
Every detail has been thoughtfully crafted to achieve the perfect balance between simplicity and elegance. Each Capra product is handmade with the finest full grain leather, top layer of the hide, maintaining the beautiful natural marks, making each product unique. Entirely hand cut, hand assembled and stitched for acute precision and premium details. Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port AdapterThe Satechi Type-C Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter adds a plethora of connections to your laptop or desktop, just by using one Type-C port. Add 4K HDMI, pass-through charging, and two USB Type-A ports to your computer. Colors come in silver, gold, rose gold, and space gray. Use the Adapter’s 4K HDMI port to output video from your computer to a 4K monitor. If your computer supports 4K you can enjoy beautiful, crisp high-resolution displays by simply connecting an HDMI cable from your Multi-Port Adapter to a 4K monitor. Don’t worry about sacrificing your Type-C port, with the included pass-through port, you can easily charge your Type-C device while using the other included outlets. With two USB Type-A ports, the Adapter has plenty of room for your additional peripherals. Satechi Aluminum Universal Aluminum Unibody Monitor / Laptop / iMac / PC StandThe Satechi Premium Aluminum Monitor Stand is one of the cool iMac accessories that you’ll love. It is the perfect accessory for your monitor, laptop, or all-in-one computer. The Aluminum Monitor Stand simplifies and organizes your desk, while maintaining a clean, functional style. Designed to match Macs, iMacs, and MacBooks, its metallic finish stylishly complements Apple computers and products. With a slim, modern design the Aluminum Monitor Stand raises your monitor for maximum comfort, reducing eye and neck strain. Promoting good posture to make working at your computer easier! Raise a computer monitor or laptop to improve ventilation and create additional workspace to organize a tablet, laptop, charging station, smartphone, office supplies, keyboard, USB hub, computer mouse, and more. The Aluminum Monitor Stand’s strong aluminum alloy can support a large variety of devices including a computer monitor, laptop, all-in-one computer, printer, and other devices up to 31 lbs. TarDisk 128GB | Storage Expansion Card for MacBookTarDisk is like nothing you have seen before. With one click, Pear technology pairs your memory with memory of TarDisk. Pear actually increases the size of your Macintosh HD. Just a little bit of magic so you never run out of space again. Simply stated, your Macintosh HD doubles in size. Your files stay protected inside TarDisk’s UniBody aluminum enclosure, we set up the rest and storage increases. Insert TarDisk into your MacBook to expand your hard drive with up to 256GB of integrated storage. Unlike any other product, TarDisk merges with your MacBook’s internal HD to expand it while keeping all of your files in one place at the speeds you expect. No slowing down, no compromise. STARK Inc. Magnetic Privacy Screen for MacBookSTARK Inc.’s custom designed removable privacy screen is one of the best Macbook accessories. It was built for Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro Retina only. While other privacy screens and screen protectors rely on messy and potentially-damaging adhesives, STARK’s Inc.’s removable privacy screen integrates seamlessly with your MacBook’s screen by attaching to the magnets already built in to the MacBook’s frame. Attach the protector when you’re at the office or coffee shop, and remove it when you’re back at home. 60° privacy viewing angle. Fits Model MacBook and MacBook Pro 2011-2016 (Not the 2016 model with touch-bar), it has an AR (Anti Reflecting) surface that is 3H PET scratch resistant. Roost Laptop Stand – Portable & AdjustableRoost Laptop Stand is an ultra portable, super lightweight laptop stand that transforms your laptop into an ergonomic desktop workstation. The Roost is incredibly strong despite its small size. It is so lightweight and portable, you will actually want to take it with you everywhere. The Roost elevates your laptop screen 6″ to 10″ off the desk to an ergonomic height. Use it with a portable Bluetooth keyboard and external mouse (sold separately), and you can now create and Ergonomic Workstation anywhere you travel. Also use with your standing desk or medicine ball to elevate the notebook screen to eye-height. The Roost works with all makes and models of Apple Laptops. Using it with your laptop will go a long way to preventing computer-related and work place injuries, such as Repetitive Stress Injury (Strain) (RSI), Carpal and Cubital Tunnel, tendonitis in your forearms and wrists, shoulder pain, neck pain, headaches and migraines. The Roost Stand is the quintessential office gadget for people who work from a laptop. Inateck MacBook Protector SleeveNew convenient version with side-zipper to put your laptop in, so you have fashionable handle bag and safe bag at your hand together. Zipped side pocket can store other accessories like notebooks, power adapter or a Macbook charger, for example, and more. Compact but multifunctional. This Inateck LB1302 is well compatible with 13 inch MacBook Air/ Macbook Pro/ Pro Retina. Built with five layer eco-friendly materials, this laptop case can avoid scratches with outer lining woven, absorb bump and shock by the super soft flannelette layer and water-proofed by the SBR neoprene. Its foam padding provides your device all around protection without adding any bulk. Wearable woven of exterior, soft flannelette inner lining provide you laptop 360 degrees of protection. iClever IC-KP02 2.4G Wireless Ultra Slim Numeric KeypadWhen it comes to spreadsheets, budget summaries, accounting roll-ups, you can conveniently run the financial data anywhere without having to ‘hunt-and-peck’ on your laptop keyboard thanks to the iClever IC-KP02 Wireless Numeric Keypad. It is elegantly shaped and accentuates a soft touch with tactile feedback for comfortable data input. Whenever you travel, you can fly through numbers without delay. This iclever numeric keypad Works with PC desktop computers and MacBook that have Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Windows 7 OS X operating systems. Simply plug the USB receiver into an available USB port of your computer and it’s ready to use, no driver needed. The blue LED indicator on top left corner indicates whether it’s ready for data entry or not(Press Num Lock button to shift numbers and function inputting). Booq Pack Pro BackpackThe pack pro is the ultimate companion for the frequent traveler with a 15″ MacBook pro or 15-17-inch PC laptop. Crafted from the highest quality materials, its highly protective laptop compartment with water-resistant zipper, a rugged ballistic nylon exterior with waterproof coating, an ergonomically designed shoulder strap system, a breathable back padding design, convenient water bottle (or umbrella) pockets are just a few of the benefits that make pack pro the ideal backpack to move your gear. While a tough 1680 denier ballistic nylon and an extremely comfortable, smooth shoulder strap were chosen for the exterior, a silky-smooth genuine nylon twill with nappa leather trims were selected to construct the interior of this fine backpack. Pack pro features a lightweight rigid frame and padded compartments to protect your gear against everyday wear and tear without weighing you down. Each pack pro backpack is tagged with a framed terralinq serial number. Once registered, the booq terralinq service may help reunite you with your lost and found bag. Space-saving vertical desktop stand for Apple notebooksBook Arc, the desktop stand that holds your MacBook vertically to create the ultimate desktop setup, has been reborn. Redesigned with a lower profile design and now crafted from aluminum, Book Arc frees up even more real estate at your workstation. Place your MacBook into the silicone padded slot in this elegant, arc-shaped stand, connect it to a big display, add a full-size keyboard and mouse to enjoy the comfort of a desktop setup. Ready to hit the road? Unplug MacBook and go while Book Arc holds your cables in place. Book Arc works with all current MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. Connect a widescreen external monitor along with your favorite keyboard + mouse, and your notebook becomes a desktop. Apple calls this feature “closed-clamshell mode. Nonda USB-C to USB 3.0 Mini AdapterIntroducing the world’s smallest USB-C to USB-A adapter. Use it to charge up your phone and other standard USB devices or transfer data at USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (up to 5Gbps). Made out of durable aluminum alloy, the mini adapter comes in 3 colors to match the new MacBook 12-inch. It’s also compatible with the Chromebook Pixel and other USB-C devices (OnePlus 3 incompatible). For optimal use, use the mini adapter with an uncovered laptop. If your MacBook is covered by a case, the mini adapter may not plug in properly. Do push the adapter hard to the end when you hear the click. Not for micro USB port or mini USB port. Twelve South MagicBridgeMagic Bridge is one of the cool iMac pro accessories that connects Apple’s Magic Trackpad 2 to your Apple Magic Keyboard, creating the sleek, one-piece input device you’ve been imagining. Magic Bridge creates an amazingly efficient keyboard you can pair with iMac, MacBook or your Apple home theater setup. Use it on your desk, the sofa or anyplace else you use your Apple Magic Keyboard and Apple’s Magic Trackpad 2. Organizes desk and creates a tidy two-in-one combo. Holds trackpad on either left or right of keyboard. Easy access to power switches and Lightning ports for charging. Zorro Macsk II, Touchscreen Accessory For Apple iMac 27″Zorro Macsk is a touch screen customized design for Apple iMac 27″, It integrates rich language of gestures. With your fingers, you can easily achieve gorgeous but complex operations, and help your iMac show its best performance. Enables you to play games on a larger display. With Zorro Macsk installed iMacs, the customer experience of shops, hotels, restaurants, and clubs are enhanced. Handy for teachers and office workers when they do demonstrations. Be of great help for graphic designers. Provide quick and easy sales transactions and more in the Retail POS Market. Be awesome for Midi Software users. Protects your iMac from scratches and stop the dust from getting inside the glossy screen. Lavolta Carrying Case Bag for Apple iMac 27-inchThis stylish tote bag is one of the best mac accessories that you hadn’t thought of yet. It is carry-on size, suitable for plane travel and looks at equally at home with a suit or jeans. It lets you pack your workspace into a carry-on sized bag and sling it over your shoulder. A bag like this could only be designed by iMac users who love their kit and want more – more freedom, more travel, more opportunities. Large pocket for an Apple Keyboard, Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse, plus a small pocket for phone, cables or other essentials. Double stitching and reinforced handles to ensure your iMac is secure. Durable, fashionable felt and a soft, thick lining for superb protection. The bag is hand made with genuine leather detailing on handles, zippers, corners and pockets. And it doubles as a dust cover. Bluelounge Jimi USB Port Extension for iMac Slim UnibodyBrings your iMac USB forward so you don’t have to fumble around the back of your computer to plug in. Flexible body makes it easy to snap into place. A design-around for your iMac, Jimi is a “J” shaped USB extension that eliminates the need to reach around to connect to the back of your iMac via USB. Simply plug Jimi into the USB port at the back of your iMac and extend the bottom of the “J” to snap into place along the bottom edge of the computer. Plug and unplug your USB connectors with ease. Jimi is exclusively designed for the iMac Slim Aluminum Unibody (released November 2012) model or later. Computer Skin Apple StickerThis is a high quality vinyl decal that can be adhered on your car, notebook, computer or just about any smooth clean surface. The decal is a single color without a background as shown. Can be used in interior and exterior applications. The vinyl used is UV and water resistant, and will last for many years without fading, peeling, or cracking. Detailed and illustrated application instructions are included with each order. Decal will come as 3 parts – the backing paper, the sticker itself, and the transfer tape. There is no background on the decal. The background is whatever you are applying it to. Mycestro The Wearable Gesture Based MouseMycestro is a wearable 3d mouse that is used to control your computer, tablet, or phone using gestures and mouse like functions. Mycestro is a wireless three-dimensional (3d) mouse, which means it has the ability to track hand motion in 3d space. Right out of the box, it can perform all the functions of a traditional computer mouse and more. The Mycestro has three buttons on its thumb pad, corresponding to the left, middle, and right buttons on a traditional mouse. The Mycestro scrolls when you slide your thumb along the thumb pad from side-to-side. The Mycestro is ergonomic, in that you can hold your hand and arm in any position that is comfortable to you within range of your device. Twelve South BassJump 2 for MacBookSince its debut, BassJump has been a hit with professional touring musicians because it lets them monitor audio directly from their MacBook speakers – while giving their headphones (and ears) a rest. Rock-and-roll road warriors also appreciate that extra power supplies, international adapters or batteries are not required. BassJump 2 works with most pro audio software, including Apple’s Logic Studio, making it an essential road tool for listening to and editing tracks on the tour bus, hotel room or anyplace else your music takes you. BassJump 2, another one of these cool mac accessories, makes it easy to better your MacBook listening experience. Once the software is installed, it’s pretty much plug and play. Just in case you forget what your MacBook sounds like without BassJump, you’ll find a big on/off switch. Use it to hear how much better your MacBook sounds with this bass boosting bundle of joy. from http://www.designyourway.net/blog/tech/macbook-gadgets-and-accessories-to-buy/ Why did you decide to develop your own mobile app? Did you come across a perspective entrepreneurship idea, or did you try to solve some of your own browsing problems? Once you’ve answered this question accurately, you will genuinely have the chance to develop a successful app. How to make apps? Once you’ve put yourself down to work, and tried to learn how to build an app, you should decide who the audience for that app will be. We prepared a short guide to help you hit off, and gathered some of developers’ best practices and advice on how to make a phone app. Pick the tips that meet your strategy, work around your idea, and you will be ready to design an app. App design tips and ideasDefine the problem you’re trying to solve In order to learn how to develop an app, define your idea. If not really sure what to choose, consider the common problems people have when browsing the net, and work your way around them. Solving a problem is the reason why certain entrepreneurs are nowadays so successful, as they’ve tackled issues you probably couldn’t imagine existed. We believe that when deciding how to make an app, you should research and explore your environment, and look for unique or faster way to accomplish a mission. The answer usually hides in real life concerns – travelers need planes to get from one country to another, but all people need cars to get from point A to point B. Get to know what people around you need
Most guides on how to create an app will teach you that apps only get validated if there is a genuine demand for them. If interested to see whether your idea matches the requirements, check Google’s Keyword Planner and see the number of people who have searched for an app similar to yours. You can even develop a landing page describing how the app can meet users’ expectations, so that you will see how many of them are genuinely interested and would sign up for it. List down the features When an app is validated, it means that you’re working on something people are enthusiastic to use. The least you can do to keep them on board is to list down the details of your product, or even purchase a wireframing tool and go the extra miles preparing a trial of the product. Remember to drill down to details as much as possible, and to include all data you think would be relevant to users. For instance, describe the interface and the flow, and try to explain users how completing their activities would look like. The clearer you are, the more willing they will be to purchase your product when completed. Get rid of features that are not essential Another piece of advice every experienced developer would share when asked how to design an app is that you need to focus on essential features only. This is particularly important when preparing a flow proposal, where all extras and whistles need to be removed. What matters is the core value of your idea, while anything else can be added as a ‘nice to have’ or ‘brand new’ addition. Plus, this helps reduce the initial investment, and leaves enough cash to invest in a stronger promotion strategy. Design comes first There are many entrepreneurs who believe that the simpler their design is, the more users will be interested in it, but that’s not always the case. When speaking of design, you shouldn’t only refer to how the app is going to look, but rather on the experience users are going to have navigating it. Khosla Ventures’ founder Vinod Khosla explained this in a great way, saying that design helps make technology more useful. It is because of this that we recommend you to think of graphics first, or look for a developer who thinks that way. Create developer accounts Choose an app store and register your developer account, so that you can sell the app through them. For Android apps, Google will expect you to pay $25 per year, while Apple demands $99 for the same service. You can register both as an individual and a company, in case you’ve formed one. Should it be an iOS app, an Android one, or both of them?In this aspect, you should know that iOS and Android use a completely different programming language, which is why most entrepreneurs choose a single app to save money and to start with. If your idea is to profit from the app, go straight to the one usable on iPads and iPhones. It is because most developers find it more complex to collect signups, downloads, and revenue from Play Store. Nevertheless, if you think Android apps are more suitable for your market’s demographics, go for one. Android does a considerably good job promoting businesses, as it reveals no reviews on your business dating from before the app was published. Plus, your product goes live more or less 20 minutes after you’ve published it, and gratification is immediate. iOS apps and how to make them
With no programming experience, creating an app probably looks the most difficult thing in the world. Once you’ve gathered some practice here and there, however, you will see that there is nothing scary about it. In fact, there are many self-taught developers who learned a little coding and came up with amazing App Store products. Here are some of the basics: Apple uses an XCode IDE (Integrated Development Environment), both in the iOS and the Mac case. Xcode is in fact a graphical interface that can be tweaked to meet your design needs, and the best part about it is that you can download it from Apple’s website for free. In the package you receive, you will find all necessary elements to write iOS code, and a great training suite for Apple’s Swift. The same kit is available for Mac, as in case you’re planning to develop an iOS app, you should run OS X instead. The review guidelines in Apple’s App Store What is both good and bad about Apple is the specific opinion it has on products distributed in its network, because of which it has developed a long list of specific rules you must know before submitting your app for testing. In case you skip complying with their requirements, it could mean that Apple won’t accept your app, and that you’ve been working on a useless product. What Apple mostly cares about is your content, the graphic design and tech specs of your product. The design guidelines imposed by Apple As we already mentioned, Apple doesn’t only provide review guidelines, but cares about how your app looks and whether the interface is easy to navigate. Doing this, Apple intends to preserve a certain degree of consistency of its content, but rather than expecting apps to look amazing, it requires them to focus on basic UI and UX elements. In order to understand how this works, check the page of Apple’s Human Interface guidelines. There, you can read more on their icon design expectations. You will also find a Do and Don’t lists that make it easier for novice designers to work their way to success. Luckily, things are not as brief and general as they seem. Other great resources you can use are: Designing Great Apps – Apple’s collection of best WWDC talks that help design a working interface; and Designing a User Interface, where Apple puts together all basic tips for iOS 8 design and inbuilt Xcode tools. Android apps and how to design themWhile designing Android apps is a bit more time-consuming, it doesn’t have to be significantly harder. Unless you’ve thought of a complex and ambitious project, you will end up undergoing a simple, few-steps process that won’t overwhelm you or your customers. An important tip is not to rush, as Android requires attention and understanding to pull strings right, and to design something good. Android’s SDK (Software Development Kit)SDK represents a collection of handy tools for building Android apps. Here are the most important parts you should know about: Android allows you to choose between two IDEs (integrated development environments). Both are designed as flexible code-writing environments where you can combine elements to put a great app together. There, you can edit and organize all sorts of files, manage a number of different packages, or get access to supporting libraries packed with useful info on emulators and devices. Basically, Android will walk you through the process even if you have no knowledge so whatever. The most common and default IDE is called Eclipse, and it is the one that allows users to modify XML and Java pieces to make the application look the way they want it. The newest Eclipse version is available on Google, and comes with a fully-equipped package manager you can use to have your app automatically updated as soon as Google has announced it. Android Studio is Eclipse’s main alternative, designed directly by Google, and operating in a manner similar to Photoshop. Both Eclipse and Android Studio look cool and offer hundreds of attractive features, but the same as with Photoshop, you’ll end up using a modest handful of what is at your disposal. For beginners, we recommend Android Studio, as it is the simpler IDE from the two. Development guidelines for Android Google took care of its users by preparing an extensive suite of resources and documentation that can teach even the least-techie user how to build his own app. Even if you have no idea how to develop an Android product, browsing through these guidelines or looking for a tutorial is a good place to start. Here are some of the most important materials you should consider: Google Services – Here, you can learn about all Google features used to build apps, including location maps, sign-in forms, cloud backups, and many more. API Guidelines – This is a vast collection of coding tips on how to animate your apps, connect it to third-party software or connect it to the internet. The possibilities you will discover here are almost unlimited. Sample Code – In this section, you will see samples of how codes should look depending on the function you wish to embed. It is a good place to learn how to test your app and correct errors before it is online. Android guidelines for material design Google didn’t think of developers only, but took care of designers too. For them, there is a whole set of Design Guidelines where Google is teaching them to make apps that look breathtaking, and function impeccably at the same time. You shouldn’t neglect this part, because all elements that look basic (animations, buttons, images, and so on), are actually pretty complex to make. Consider the price of the app: Should you make it free?Generally speaking, the price of your app will depend on the category where it belongs. Most free apps, for instance, are intended for gaming and entertainment, where unless development was incredibly complex or required plenty of time, users are not expected to pay a penny. Another important criterion here is how you’ve imagined monetizing your work: if interested in downloads and popularity, you can make it free and ask for money after a while, or make a free and a paid version and adjust features. A handy option is always to put a tag on it, but think of a reasonable price users would actually pay for a newcomer. Integrate the app with an analytics serviceYou need analytics to follow progress, and understand where user engagement is mostly coming from. Detailed comparison of involved metrics will also help you track the number of downloads, retention or bounce rates, customer satisfaction, and much more. There are many tools like this you can use for free, as for instance Flurry or Localytics. Ask for feedback to improve the app’s performanceCustomer behavior and usage impressions are the vital insights you need to improve the quality of your app, so make sure you collect insights from the very first moment it goes live. There is no such thing as too frequent changes, so never stop thinking of how your app can become better. ConclusionInstead of sticking exclusively to these guidelines, look for more information and collect practices from experienced developers. Once you have all assets needed to start building, plan the next and most important step, namely getting more customers. from http://www.designyourway.net/blog/user-interface-design/how-to-make-an-app-design-development/ |
AuthorPleasure to introduce myself I am Jamie 27 years old living in Searcy, AR. I am web developer and have developed over 50 sites for clients. Now a days I am focused on designing as I feel I am lacking it. Archives
April 2019
Categories |