543 Tech Tips & Tricks

How to Brief a Designer for a Logo You'll Actually Love

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 01:00:12 GMT

How to Write a Logo Design Brief That Gets Results for Your NZ Business

Key Takeaways

A clear brief acts as a translator between your business vision and the designer's creative output.
Effective briefs focus on your target audience and core values rather than just personal colour preferences.
Providing specific details about where the logo will be used helps ensure the design is practical and versatile.
Investing time in a brief reduces the number of revisions required and speeds up the entire design process.

We often hear from business owners who know exactly what they like but struggle to put those feelings into words. You might have a clear vision in your head, yet when you try to explain it to a designer, something gets lost in translation. This is where a well-structured logo design brief becomes your most valuable tool. It is the bridge between your expertise in your industry and our expertise in visual identity.

Getting your logo right is a significant step for any Kiwi business. Data shows that 75% of consumers recognise a brand by its logo , making it the most immediate way to tell the world who you are. On the flip side, 60% of consumers actively avoid brands with outdated or unappealing logos. A strong brief ensures you end up in the right category, presenting a professional face to your local community from day one.

Why is a logo brief necessary?

A logo brief acts as a translator between your vision and the designer's technical skills, ensuring the final result aligns with your business goals while reducing the need for multiple revisions. In our experience, the most successful projects start with a conversation about strategy rather than just aesthetics. When we understand the "why" behind your business, we can create a "what" that actually works.

A well-designed logo shapes over 80% of consumer perceptions about a business’s quality and trustworthiness. If you run a boutique accounting firm in Napier, your brief should communicate stability and precision. If you are launching a surf school in Raglan, the brief should lean into energy and approachability. Without a brief, the designer is essentially guessing which of these paths to take. By providing a clear roadmap, you treat your branding as a serious investment in your future growth.

What should you include in a logo design brief?

A successful logo design brief includes your business background, target audience, core values, preferred style, and where the logo will be used. Think of it as a snapshot of your business identity. According to VistaPrint , a great brief reduces revisions, speeds up production, and ensures the final logo works across every touchpoint.

We recommend starting with your brand foundations. Before we look at fonts or icons, we need to know who you are trying to reach. Are your customers local families, or are you targeting corporate clients across the country? Our strategic guide to building an unforgettable Kiwi brand explains that defining your mission and values is the first step toward visual clarity. Once these foundations are set, the design choices often become much more obvious.

Practical applications and consistency

Your logo needs to perform in a variety of environments, from a tiny social media profile picture to a large physical sign on a building. In your brief, you should list every place you expect the logo to appear. This helps the designer create a "responsive" identity that remains legible and impactful regardless of size. Consistency is the key to being remembered.

Research shows that it typically takes 5 to 7 exposures to a logo before a customer remembers a brand. If your logo looks different on your business cards than it does on your website, you lose that cumulative effect. This is why we focus on creating versatile files for both digital and print use. Once your branding is nailed, the next logical step is to ensure your digital home matches that new look. You can achieve this through professional website design for NZ small businesses that carries your brand colours and fonts through every page.

A global investment with local value

The importance of professional branding is growing rapidly on a global scale. The global graphic designers market was worth USD 50.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 121.7 billion by 2035. This growth is driven by a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.25%, which is the average yearly growth rate of an investment over a specific period of time. Branding and logo design currently dominate this market because businesses everywhere realise that "just a logo" is no longer enough to compete.

While the global market is massive, we believe professional branding should remain accessible to New Zealand small businesses. You can access high-level design expertise without the "big agency" price tag. We provide a collaborative process where we work through your brief together, offering unlimited revisions until you are completely satisfied with the result.

How much does professional logo design cost in New Zealand?

Professional logo design at 543 Website Design starts at $435 + GST, which provides six initial concepts and unlimited revisions to ensure you get a result you love. We have designed our packages to be straightforward and transparent, so you know exactly what you are getting from the start. Whether you are just starting out or looking to refresh an existing look, we have an option that fits your needs.

Our current professional logo design & branding in NZ options include:

Logo Design: $435 + GST (includes six concepts, unlimited revisions, and all file types).
Branding Package: $695 + GST (includes logo design, brand guidelines for fonts and colours, and a social media set).
Business Starter Pack: $956 + GST (includes everything in the branding package plus stationery designs like business cards).

We see these packages as more than just a creative service. They are a way to give your business the professional edge it needs to stand out in the New Zealand market. By starting with a clear, thoughtful brief, you set the stage for a brand identity that builds trust and grows with you for years to come. If you are ready to start the process, we are here to help you translate your vision into a logo you will be proud to display.

How to Evaluate a Web Design Agency's Portfolio

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 01:32:41 GMT

How to Evaluate a Web Design Agency Portfolio

Key Takeaways

Prioritise mobile functionality over desktop screenshots to match modern browsing habits.
Look for evidence of fast loading speeds and stable layouts across different devices.
Evaluate whether the designs guide users toward a clear action or goal.
Check for transparent pricing and long-term support structures.
Verify that the agency understands the specific needs of the New Zealand market.

Choosing a web design partner often feels like a high-stakes guessing game. You look at a gallery of beautiful, high-resolution images and wonder if those same results will translate to your specific business. In our experience, the most successful projects start when a business owner looks past the initial visual appeal and starts asking how those websites actually perform for the people using them.

A portfolio serves as a functional record of an agency’s ability to solve business problems. To make a smart investment, you need a framework to separate the purely decorative from the high-performing. This is especially true in the local market, where over 70% of B2C website traffic in New Zealand comes from mobile devices . If an agency only shows you desktop mockups, they are missing the majority of your potential customers.

Test the Live Mobile Experience First

The primary way your customers will find you is through a smartphone. While a portfolio often features large, cinematic desktop views, the reality of modern browsing is much smaller. Globally, mobile devices now account for 63% of all website traffic , and this trend is even more pronounced in retail. We've seen that 77% of retail website visits and 68% of online retail orders happen on smartphones.

When you browse an agency's past work, open the live sites on your phone. Observe how easily the menu opens, whether the text is readable without zooming, and if the buttons are easy to tap with a thumb. Research shows that responsive websites register around 11% higher conversion rates than those that struggle on mobile. Conversion rates refer to the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as filling out a contact form or making a purchase. If the portfolio sites feel clunky on your phone, your own site likely will too.

Analyse Performance and Core Web Vitals

A beautiful website that loads slowly is a liability. In our experience, many small businesses overlook the technical health of portfolio examples. You should look for sites that feel snappy and stable. This relates directly to Core Web Vitals (CWV), which are specific metrics Google uses to measure user experience, including loading speed, how quickly a page becomes interactive, and whether the layout jumps around as images load.

New Zealand has a highly connected population with 6.84 million mobile connections , which is significantly more than our total population. This mobile-saturated market expects instant results. When evaluating a portfolio, use free tools to check the loading speeds of their featured work. A high-performing site should load quickly even on a standard mobile connection. We focus on building sites that meet these technical standards because a fast site is a fundamental requirement for ranking well on search engines and keeping users engaged.

Evaluate User Experience and Navigation

User Experience (UX) describes the overall feeling and ease a person has when interacting with a website. It is the difference between a visitor finding what they need in seconds or leaving in frustration. Data compiled by VWO indicates that 88% of users are less likely to return after a bad website experience . This makes UX a critical business metric rather than just a design preference.

As you look through an agency's work, ask yourself if you can tell what the business does within three seconds. Is there a clear path for the user to follow? Whether it is a law firm in Lower Hutt or a cafe in Christchurch, the navigation should be intuitive. We've seen that every $1 invested in UX can return significant value, sometimes improving conversion rates by up to 400% in professional case studies. A portfolio should demonstrate that the agency thinks about the user’s journey, not just the brand's colours.

Look for Clear Calls to Action

A portfolio should showcase websites that work for a living. This means every page should have a clear Call to Action (CTA), which is an instruction to the user designed to prompt an immediate response, like "Call Now" or "Book a Consultation." If the portfolio sites look like digital brochures with no clear direction, they may fail to generate leads for your business.

Check if the contact details are easy to find and if the forms are simple to fill out. A high-performing website acts as a 24/7 salesperson. You can find more about these essential elements in our blueprint for a high-performing website in NZ . If the agency’s previous work lacks these strategic touchpoints, they may be more focused on art than on your bottom line.

Assess Transparency and Value for Money

A great portfolio should be backed by a clear and sustainable pricing model. We believe that professional web design should be accessible to every New Zealand small business without hidden costs. When you find an agency whose style you like, check if their pricing matches the quality of the work shown. Some agencies produce beautiful work but charge tens of thousands of dollars, which may not be practical for a local trade or service business.

We offer several ways to access affordable professional website design in New Zealand . For those who prefer to keep their capital, our Pay As You Go option starts from $124.99 per month with no up-front fee. This includes the design, content creation, hosting, and even a redesign every three years to keep the site modern. For businesses that prefer to own the asset outright, our upfront packages start from $1,999 plus GST, with annual hosting of $365. We also provide specific tiers for different needs:

Our Basic One Page Website is $999 plus GST. The Standard Website package is $1,999 plus GST. For more complex needs, the Comprehensive Website is $2,499 plus GST, and a full Online Store starts at $2,999 plus GST. Transparent pricing in a portfolio indicates that the agency is organised and understands the budget constraints of small businesses.

Check for Long-Term Support

The internet changes rapidly, and a website that looks great today may need updates tomorrow. A common mistake we observe is businesses hiring an agency that delivers a project and then disappears. When reviewing a portfolio, try to find out if those sites are still being maintained. Does the agency offer ongoing security updates and content changes?

A portfolio is a snapshot in time, but your business needs a partner for the long haul. We include an hour of changes every month in our monthly plans to ensure your site evolves with your business. When you evaluate an agency, ask about their process for updates. If they don't have a clear plan for hosting and maintenance, you might find yourself with an outdated site in just a few years. Choosing a partner who prioritises long-term performance ensures your website remains a valuable asset for your business.

Inflation hits home. Why we've had to increase our hosting costs.

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 03:43:25 GMT

We’re updating our website hosting prices.

Not the most exciting update, we know. But we always try to be straight up about pricing, and we unfortunately couldn't hold costs down any more. Since our last hosting increase, inflation has gone up by roughly 15%, and the cost for 543 to provide that hosting has hit us pretty hard.

We’ve always tried to keep our hosting pricing as close to our real costs as possible. It isn’t something we treat as a big profit centre. It’s there to cover the cost of keeping your website live, secure, backed up, updated, supported, and running smoothly.

That includes things like the website files, backups and updates. All those things have external (US dollar) costs to us, so as inflation hits NZ, our hosting costs pop up.

We’ve held the pricing for as long as we reasonably could, but with costs going up across the board, we now need to make an adjustment.

The New Annual Hosting Prices

As a general rule, you'll see your hosting price jump up about 20%. So a $365 yearly hosting invoice will become $419. Similar applies across all our hosting plans and we'll likely need to roll out similar to domain pricing, but are holding off on doing that for now.

For most clients, this will simply apply from your next annual hosting renewal. There’s nothing you need to do, and your website will keep running as normal.

We know any price increase is annoying, so we’ve kept this as modest as we can while still making sure we can keep providing a reliable, well-supported hosting service.

As always, if you have any questions or you’re not sure which plan you’re on, just get in touch. We’re happy to help.

Why Responsive Design is Non-Negotiable for NZ Websites in 2025

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:16:44 GMT

Web Design NZ: Why Mobile-First is the Standard for Local Business Success in 2025

Key Takeaways

Mobile-first design is a requirement for New Zealand businesses because the majority of local traffic and retail activity now happens on smartphones.
Google prioritises websites that meet specific performance standards known as Core Web Vitals, which measure speed and visual stability.
A truly responsive website adapts its layout to any screen size, ensuring a high-quality user experience for the millions of Kiwis using mobile devices.
Affordable, professional web design is accessible for NZ small businesses through fixed-price packages and flexible payment options.

In a country where 95.7% of people are online and mobile connections outnumber Kiwis, the way your business appears on a smartphone screen determines your success. New Zealand had 5.03 million internet users in January 2024 , and the data shows that we are effectively a nation that is always connected. With 6.84 million mobile connections representing 130.3% of our population, your customers are likely looking for your services while they are on the move.

We have seen that the shift toward mobile usage has fundamentally changed how businesses must approach their digital presence. In our experience, many business owners still view their website through the lens of a desktop computer. However, the reality of the modern market is that the smartphone is now the primary gateway to the internet. If your site feels clunky or difficult to use on a phone, you are essentially closing your doors to a massive portion of the market. Providing a professional NZ website design means prioritising the mobile experience from the very first click.

Why Mobile-First Website Design is Mandatory in 2025

The global shift toward mobile has been decisive. Mobile devices now account for 63% of global website traffic , a staggering increase from just 6% in 2011. Today, 4.32 billion people access the web via mobile phones, which accounts for 92% of all internet users. For a business owner, these numbers represent the vast majority of your potential leads and customers.

When we talk about responsive web design, we are referring to a technical approach where a website automatically adjusts its layout, images, and navigation to fit the screen of the device being used. Whether someone is viewing your site on a large office monitor in Auckland or an iPhone while waiting for a coffee in Christchurch, the experience should be equally smooth. This adaptability is the foundation of modern website design in NZ .

The impact on commerce is even more significant. Research shows that 77% of retail website visits and 68% of online retail orders are now made on smartphones. If you run an online store, your mobile performance is your most important sales tool. A site that loads slowly or has buttons that are too small to tap will drive customers straight to your competitors. We focus on building websites that cater to these mobile shopping habits, ensuring that the path to purchase is as easy as possible.

Understanding the Kiwi Mobile Market

New Zealand is a mature smartphone market with unique characteristics. We have close to six million mobile phone connections , which exceeds our actual population. This saturation means that almost every adult Kiwi has a high-powered computer in their pocket at all times. Apple iPhones dominate nearly 50 percent of the market, followed by Samsung and other major brands. This variety of devices means your web designer must ensure your site looks perfect across a wide range of screen resolutions and operating systems.

In our experience, a common mistake we observe is businesses assuming that a "mobile-friendly" site is enough. Mobile-friendly often just means the site is readable on a phone. Mobile-first design goes further by designing the mobile experience as the priority, then scaling up for larger screens. This approach ensures that the most critical information, such as your phone number, location, or "Book Now" button, is always front and centre for the mobile user.

Whether you are a tradie in Tauranga or a consultant in Wellington, your website needs to reflect this local reality. Kiwis expect fast, efficient digital interactions. With median mobile download speeds in NZ reaching 69.91 Mbps, users have little patience for slow-loading pages. A high-performing website in 2025 must match these high-speed expectations to keep users engaged.

Moving Beyond Resizing: Core Web Vitals and Performance

Responsive design is about more than just fitting content onto a screen. It is also a critical part of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), which is the process of improving your website to increase its visibility when people search for products or services. Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it predominantly uses the mobile version of your content for indexing and ranking. If your mobile site is poor, your search engine rankings will suffer across the board.

Google measures the quality of your user experience through a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals. These include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which measures loading performance; First Input Delay (FID), which measures interactivity; and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which measures visual stability. Essentially, Google wants to see that your site loads quickly, responds to clicks immediately, and doesn't have elements that jump around while the page is loading. We've seen this happen when images aren't sized correctly for mobile, causing a frustrating experience for the user.

To achieve these high standards, we choose specific technology that is built for performance. We often recommend Duda for mobile-first NZ web design because it delivers excellent out-of-the-box performance and strong SEO features. Unlike some older platforms that require constant updates and plugins, Duda sites are built to be fast and secure from day one. This allows us to focus on the design and content that will help your business grow, rather than fixing technical glitches.

Accessibility and the User Experience

A well-designed website must be accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical abilities or the device they are using. This is a vital part of web accessibility, ensuring that content is perceivable for users with visual impairments. One of the most important aspects of this is maintaining sufficient colour contrast between text and background. If your text is too light or your background is too busy, people will struggle to read your message, especially when they are outside in bright New Zealand sunlight.

We follow the core principles of effective NZ web design to ensure that every site we build is easy to navigate. This includes using clear fonts, logical page hierarchies, and intuitive menus. On a mobile device, this also means considering the "thumb zone" – the areas of the screen that are easiest to reach when holding a phone with one hand. Placing your most important call-to-action buttons within this zone can significantly improve your conversion rates.

Take a cafe in Napier, for example. A customer looking for their menu on a phone wants to find it quickly without pinching and zooming. By using responsive design principles, we ensure that the menu is easy to read and the "Call Now" button is easy to tap. These small details create a friendly website that builds trust with your audience and encourages them to choose your business over another.

Practical Web Design Costs for NZ Small Businesses

We believe that high-quality, responsive web design should be accessible to every local business owner. You don't need a corporate budget to get a website that performs at a high level. Our pricing is straightforward and designed to provide value without compromise. We offer several tiers to suit different business needs, from simple landing pages to full ecommerce solutions.

Our Starter Website package is $1,739 + GST, which includes five pages to get your business online with a professional look. For those who need more room to grow, our Premium Website is $2,174 + GST and offers unlimited pages. If you are looking to sell products, our Online Store package is $2,608 + GST. We also offer a very simple one-page website design for $869 + GST for those just starting out. We split our design pricing half up front and half on completion to make it easier for small businesses to manage their cash flow.

In addition to the initial build, there are ongoing costs for hosting and support. Our standard hosting is $365 per year, which ensures your site remains fast, secure, and online. For those who prefer a lower upfront cost, we offer a flexible pay-as-you-go option starting from just $124.99 per month. This allows you to get a professional website without a large initial investment, helping your business thrive online while keeping your finances steady.

Choosing the Right Web Designer for Your Business

Selecting a web design company is a significant decision for any business owner. You need a partner who understands the local market and the technical requirements of the modern web. We pride ourselves on being a leading New Zealand web designer that focuses on practical results. Every website we build is mobile-optimised, responsive, and SEO-friendly by default. We don't treat these features as optional extras because we know they are essential for your success.

Our design process is collaborative and transparent. We work with you to understand your business goals and create a custom web design that reflects your brand. Because we use an easy-to-edit content management system, you will have the freedom to update your own site whenever you need to, without having to call us for every small change. This empowers you to keep your content fresh and relevant for your customers.

If you are looking for a website that attracts more leads and provides a great user experience on every device, we are here to help. Our team has the experience and the tools to deliver a website that not only looks beautiful but also drives real growth for your business. Whether you are a new business starting from scratch or an established company looking for a refresh, we can provide a solution that fits your needs and your budget.

7 Proven Strategies for Creating E-commerce Product Pages That Convert

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 20:44:05 GMT

High-Converting Product Pages: The NZ Small Business Guide to More Sales

Key Takeaways

The average online shopper conversion rate in New Zealand is currently 1.5 percent.
Top-performing e-commerce stores achieve conversion rates of 5 percent or higher through better page design.
Reviews are essential for Kiwi consumers, with 95 percent reading them before making a purchase.
Mobile devices now account for over 65 percent of the total online transaction value in New Zealand.
Professional e-commerce website design is available from $2,999 with 543 Design.

In our experience, many New Zealand small business owners spend a significant amount of time and money driving traffic to their websites, only to see visitors leave without buying anything. The product page is the most critical part of your online store. It acts as your digital salesperson, working 24 hours a day to convince a visitor that your product is the right solution for their needs. When this page is clear, persuasive, and easy to use, your sales grow. When it is cluttered or confusing, your marketing budget goes to waste.

The data shows there is plenty of room for improvement for most local retailers. Recent figures from Statista show that in the third quarter of 2025, the average online shopper conversion rate in New Zealand was just 1.5 percent. This is slightly lower than the global average of 1.6 percent. A conversion rate is simply the percentage of visitors to your website who complete a purchase. While these averages might seem low, they represent a massive opportunity for those who choose to stand out.

The Gap Between Average and High-Performing Stores

Average e-commerce sites typically convert between 1 percent and 3 percent of their visitors. However, the top 20 percent of online stores push well past that, reaching 3.5 percent to 5 percent and beyond . Moving from a 1.5 percent conversion rate to a 3 percent rate effectively doubles your revenue without requiring a single extra cent in advertising spend. This is why we focus so heavily on the user experience of the product page itself.

We have seen that New Zealand businesses can gain a real edge by modernising their approach. Currently, only about 53% of New Zealand businesses have a website, a figure that has remained stagnant for several years. This creates a clear path for proactive business owners to capture a larger share of the market. The broader New Zealand e-commerce market is valued at approximately $6.8 billion US dollars according to Ken Research . Within that landscape, the specific B2C (business-to-consumer) retail segment is currently valued at roughly $3.25 billion US dollars and is projected to reach over $5.09 billion US dollars by 2030. You can read more about the growth of the Auckland e-commerce market on our dedicated strategy page.

Seven Strategies to Lift Your Product Page Conversions

Improving a product page involves a mix of psychology, clear communication, and technical performance. We recommend focusing on these seven areas to turn generic listings into persuasive sales tools.

1. Write Benefit-Led Product Descriptions

A common mistake we observe is listing only the technical features of a product. While features are important, customers buy solutions to their problems. Your copy should explain exactly how the product will make the customer's life better or easier. Use clear, simple language and break up text with bullet points to make it easy to scan on a mobile screen.

2. Use High-Quality Visuals and Video

Since customers cannot touch or feel your products, your images must do the heavy lifting. Use high-resolution photos from multiple angles and include "lifestyle" shots that show the product in use. Digital video is particularly effective in New Zealand, as it reaches over 60 percent of Kiwis. Including a short video of the product can significantly increase the time a visitor spends on your page and their likelihood of buying.

3. Prioritise Social Proof and Reviews

Trust is the currency of the internet. According to Splash Digital , 95 percent of consumers read online reviews before buying a product. Displaying genuine customer reviews and star ratings directly on the product page provides the social proof needed to nudge a hesitant buyer. We recommend making these reviews easy to find and read.

4. Create a Clear Call to Action

Your "Add to Cart" or "Buy Now" button should be the most obvious element on the page. Use a contrasting colour that stands out from the rest of your brand palette. We have found that keeping this button "above the fold" (visible without scrolling) on mobile devices is essential for maintaining momentum in the shopping journey.

5. Build Trust with Clear Signals

Shoppers need to know their data is safe. Displaying trust badges, such as secure payment icons and clear links to your privacy policy, helps reduce anxiety at the point of purchase. Providing a physical address and a New Zealand phone number also goes a long way in proving you are a legitimate local business.

6. Be Transparent About Shipping and Returns

Hidden costs are the primary reason for cart abandonment. State your shipping rates and delivery timeframes clearly on the product page. If you offer a simple return policy, highlight it. Knowing that they can easily return an item if it is not right gives customers the confidence to complete the transaction.

Optimise for Mobile-First Shopping

Mobile optimisation is a requirement for modern retail. Data shows that 80 percent of online shoppers now use mobile devices to browse and make purchases. In fact, smartphones generated 65.70 percent of New Zealand's online transaction value in 2025. If your product page is slow to load or difficult to navigate on a phone, you are losing more than half of your potential sales.

The Professional Advantage

While many business owners attempt to build their own stores using DIY platforms, we often see these projects struggle with slow loading speeds and poor mobile layouts. A professional build ensures that your store is fast, secure, and designed specifically to convert visitors into customers. Our professional e-commerce solutions include product upload assistance and a mobile app for managing your store on the go.

We provide a robust e-commerce package that is ready to sell the moment it goes live. For online enquiries, our professional online store design is available for $2,608 plus GST.. We also offer reliable e-commerce hosting from $48 dollars plus GST per month. This hosting includes direct indexing by Google and multiple payment gateway options to make the checkout process as smooth as possible.

Investing in Long-Term Growth

The New Zealand e-commerce market is growing rapidly, and the businesses that invest in high-quality product pages now will be the ones that capture the most value. Whether you are selling boutique clothing or industrial equipment, the principles of clarity, trust, and mobile performance remain the same. By focusing on these seven strategies, you can move your store away from the 1.5 percent average and toward the high-performing 5 percent bracket.

If you have specific requirements for your online shop, we also offer custom e-commerce solutions. These are priced on application, and we are always happy to provide free advice and estimates to help you determine the best path forward for your business. Taking a professional approach to your product pages is not just a design choice: it is a strategic move to ensure your business thrives in an increasingly digital marketplace.

How to Build Your First Website: A 7-Step Guide for Absolute Beginners

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:08:14 GMT

How to Build Your First Website: A 7-Step Guide for NZ Beginners

Key Takeaways

Defining a clear purpose for your site ensures you only build what is necessary for your customers.
Using a local website builder simplifies the technical setup and provides tools tailored for the New Zealand market.
Registering a .co.nz domain name establishes immediate trust and credibility with local shoppers.
Optimising for mobile users is a priority as most Kiwis now research products on their phones.
Starting with a DIY tool allows for a low-risk entry into the digital market with the option to upgrade later.

Getting your business online in Aotearoa often feels like a daunting task, but it is one of the most rewarding moves you can make. We see many local business owners hesitating because they worry about the technical hurdles or the cost. However, the reality of the New Zealand market shows that waiting is the biggest risk of all. Recent data reveals that only 53% of New Zealand businesses have a website , a figure that has remained flat for several years. This gap exists despite the fact that 61% of those same businesses agree that a website is their most vital digital tool.

The opportunity for those who do take the leap is significant. We know that 8 out of 10 Kiwis search online for information and prices before they ever decide to make a purchase. If you are not there when they search, you are essentially handing that customer to a competitor. Whether you are a plumber in Petone or running a boutique cafe in Christchurch, having a professional digital presence is the modern equivalent of a sign above your door. This guide follows a proven 7-step sequence for beginners to move from a basic idea to a live, functional website.

Step 1: Define your website goal and structure

Every successful project starts with a clear plan. In our experience, the most effective websites are those built with a single, primary purpose in mind. Are you looking to generate leads for a service, sell products directly, or simply provide a digital business card with your contact details? Defining this early prevents you from over-complicating the design. A simple one-page site is often enough to bridge the gap between your business and the 80% of Kiwis researching online.

We recommend sketching out a basic map of the pages you need. For most small NZ businesses, this includes a Home page, pages for the individual services you offer, and a Contact page. Keeping your structure lean makes it easier for visitors to find what they need. It also makes the building process much faster for you. When you know exactly what information needs to go where, you avoid the "blank page" syndrome that stalls so many DIY projects.

Step 2: Choose the right website builder in NZ

The platform you choose acts as the foundation of your site. For beginners, we strongly advocate for a drag-and-drop NZ website builder . These tools allow you to see your changes in real-time without needing to touch a single line of code. We have designed our DIY platform to be low-risk: you can build your entire site for free and only start paying for hosting once you are ready to go live.

Pricing is a major consideration for any local business. We offer three distinct tiers to match different needs. Our AI Generated One Page plan is $19 per month and is perfect for a fast, credible starter presence. For those needing more depth, our Starter Website plan at $35 per month provides unlimited customisable pages. If you are looking to sell goods, our Online Store plan is $55 per month. Choosing a local provider ensures your site is hosted on servers that perform well for Kiwi visitors, and you have access to support that understands the local business landscape.

Step 3: Secure your domain name and hosting

Your domain name is your digital address, such as yourbusiness.co.nz. We've seen that 74% of NZ businesses view .nz domains as more trustworthy , and local customers share this sentiment. Using a .nz or .co.nz suffix immediately tells your audience that you are a local operator. This builds a layer of trust that generic .com addresses often lack in the New Zealand market.

Hosting is the service that keeps your website accessible on the internet. When you use a DIY builder, hosting is usually bundled into your monthly plan, which simplifies your billing. While a professional agency build in NZ might cost $999 for a one-page site or upwards of $2,999 for a full store, starting with a DIY plan keeps your initial overheads low. Our hosting plans range from $19 to $55 per month, providing a professional home for your site without the large upfront investment of a custom build.

Step 4: Pick a template and customise your design

You do not need to be a graphic designer to create a beautiful website. Most modern builders provide hundreds of templates that are already professionally designed. The key is to choose a layout that matches the "vibe" of your business. A law firm in Lower Hutt might choose a clean, structured template with neutral colours, while a creative studio might opt for something more vibrant and image-heavy.

Customisation is where you make the site your own. You can swap out colours to match your branding, upload your logo, and change fonts to ensure readability. We suggest keeping your design simple. Too many competing elements can distract a visitor from your main message. Focus on clear headings and plenty of white space to make your content easy to digest on both desktop and mobile screens.

Step 5: Create and add your content

Content is the information that convinces a visitor to become a customer. This includes your text, images, and videos. Many beginners find writing about themselves to be the hardest part of the process. To help with this, we provide an integrated AI assistant that can generate page copy and product descriptions for you. This tool is a great way to build, launch, and grow online with a DIY website by overcoming the initial hurdle of content creation.

When adding images, ensure they are high quality but compressed for the web. Large image files can slow down your site, which frustrates users and hurts your search engine performance. Our builder handles much of this automatically by resizing and optimising images as you upload them. Remember to include a clear "Call to Action" on every page, such as a "Book Now" button or a "Contact Us" form, so your visitors know exactly what to do next.

Step 6: Optimise for Search Engines (SEO)

Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, is the process of making your site visible to people searching on Google. This is more important than ever because search habits are changing. Research shows that around 60% of all searches now end without a click to an external website. On mobile devices, this figure jumps to 77%. This means your website must be fast, mobile-friendly, and structured so that Google can easily understand your content and display it in search results.

We focus on the "unseen backbone" of your site by ensuring technical SEO elements like business schema and mobile responsiveness are handled automatically. You can further improve your visibility by using clear, descriptive titles for your pages and writing helpful content that answers common customer questions. For a deeper look at these strategies, you can follow our step-by-step website design guide which covers how to align your content with what Kiwi customers are actually searching for.

Step 7: Test, launch, and promote

Before you hit the publish button, you must test your site thoroughly. Open it on your phone, a tablet, and a computer to ensure everything looks correct. Click every link and fill out your contact forms to make sure the emails are arriving in your inbox. A common mistake we observe is launching a site without checking how the images appear on smaller screens. Taking ten minutes to double-check these details ensures a professional first impression.

Once you are live, the work of promotion begins. Add your website link to your email signature, your social media profiles, and your Google Business Profile. A website is a living asset, not a static brochure. You can continue to update your content and add new pages as your business grows. If you eventually find that you have outgrown the DIY approach, you can always step up to a comprehensive professional website package, which we offer for a flat fee of $2,499. Starting DIY is the best way to learn what your business truly needs online without a massive initial spend.

E-commerce Website Design Auckland: Stand Out in a Crowded Market

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 06:55:32 GMT

E-commerce Website Design Auckland: Claim Your Share of the Multi-Billion Dollar Market

Key Takeaways

Mobile devices drive the majority of online transactions in New Zealand.
A significant gap exists in the market as many local businesses still lack a professional website.
Local SEO and suburb-specific targeting are essential for Auckland retailers.
Professional e-commerce packages provide a faster, more reliable path to sales than basic DIY options.

Auckland retailers face intense competition from local neighbours, national chains, and global marketplaces. Standing out requires more than a simple digital presence. The New Zealand e-commerce market is worth NZD $5.91 billion in 2026 and is forecast to grow to NZD $9.07 billion by 2031 . This rapid expansion offers a significant opportunity for small and mid-sized businesses to secure their future by investing in high-performance digital storefronts.

We see many businesses in the region still treating their website as an afterthought. However, the data suggests that those who move quickly will gain a distinct advantage. A total of 53% of New Zealand businesses currently have a website , a figure that has remained stagnant since 2022. This occurs even though 61% of business owners rank their website as their most important digital tool. This gap between intention and action creates a wide-open opportunity for Auckland retailers to step in and capture local search intent before their competitors do.

Why Mobile-First Design is Mandatory in Auckland

The way Kiwis shop has changed permanently. Success in the local market depends on how well your site performs on a phone. Smartphones generated 65.70% of New Zealand online transaction value in 2025 , cementing mobile as the primary channel for e-commerce. If your site is slow or difficult to use on a small screen, you are effectively turning away two-thirds of your potential customers.

In our experience, a mobile-first approach involves more than just making things fit on a smaller screen. It requires fast loading speeds, easy-to-tap buttons, and a streamlined checkout process. Other research indicates that 80% of online shoppers now use mobile devices to browse and make purchases . We build our sites on the Duda platform specifically because it excels at providing this high-performance User Experience (UX). UX refers to how a person feels when interacting with your site, particularly how easy and pleasing it is to use.

Our team focuses on creating sites that are ready to sell the moment they go live. For a deeper look at how to succeed in the local market, you can read our guide to web design in Auckland which covers the essential foundations for 2025.

The Scale of the New Zealand Opportunity

The national market is structurally strong and continues to grow. New Zealand has roughly 92% internet penetration with about 5.1 million active internet users . This high level of connectivity means that almost every potential customer in Auckland is reachable online. Mobile commerce alone is projected to account for over NZD $3 billion in sales across the country.

We have seen that businesses which integrate their online store with their physical inventory and social channels tend to perform best. Whether you are a boutique in Ponsonby or a hardware supplier in Henderson, your digital store needs to talk to your physical one. Our professional e-commerce packages include the ability to sync your products directly to Google Shopping, Facebook, Instagram, and even global marketplaces like Amazon.

Treating your website as a strategic asset rather than a cost is the key to long-term growth. For a broader perspective on the national landscape, see our detailed post on building an e-commerce powerhouse in New Zealand.

Affordable Pathways to Professional E-commerce

Many Auckland business owners worry that a high-quality online store will be prohibitively expensive. We believe in providing straightforward, transparent pricing that makes professional design accessible. Our professional online store design is a sturdy e-commerce solution that normally costs $3,749, but we offer a discounted price of $2,608 + GST for online enquiries. This package includes a professionally designed website, assistance with product uploads, and a site that is ready to sell immediately.

Ongoing costs are equally important for small business cash flow. Our e-commerce hosting starts from $69, but is available from $48 + GST with our online enquiry discount. This hosting includes a mobile app for store management, multiple payment gateway options, and direct indexing by Google. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) involves improving your website to increase its visibility when people search for products, and having a site that Google can easily read is the first step in that process.

For those just starting out or working with a very tight budget, we also offer DIY options. Our Starter Website DIY plan begins at $19 per month, while the Online Store DIY plan is $35 per month. These plans allow you to get a foothold in the market while you grow your brand.

Local SEO: Reaching Auckland Suburbs

Auckland is a collection of unique neighbourhoods, and your digital strategy should reflect that. Local SEO helps you appear in searches for specific delivery areas or suburb-based queries. When someone in Takapuna searches for your products, you want to ensure your business is the one they find first. This involves optimising your site for local keywords and ensuring your contact information is consistent across the web.

We often see businesses neglect their local identity in favour of trying to sound like a global corporation. In reality, Auckland shoppers often prefer buying from local businesses they trust. Using a .co.nz domain is a simple way to build this trust. Research shows that 74% of New Zealand businesses agree that a .co.nz domain is more trustworthy for local consumers. This small detail can have a significant impact on your conversion rates.

Investing in Your Digital Future

The shift toward online shopping is a permanent change in consumer behaviour. Estimates suggest that 70% of NZ consumers will prefer online shopping over traditional retail in the coming years. Auckland businesses that invest in professional, mobile-first design today are positioning themselves to capture a larger share of this growing market.

We provide free advice and estimates for those with more wooden or specific requirements. Our custom e-commerce solutions are priced on application (POA + GST) to ensure you get exactly what your business needs to thrive. Whether you need a simple one-page site or a comprehensive store with unlimited pages, we have a path that fits your budget and your goals. Success in Auckland e-commerce is about pairing your local expertise with the right digital tools to serve your customers where they already are: on their phones and ready to buy.

Free Website Builders in NZ: Are They Really Free? (The Hidden Catches)

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:51:02 GMT

The Real Cost of Free Website Builders for New Zealand Small Businesses

Key Takeaways

Free website builders often impose forced branding and third-party advertisements on your site.
Using a subdomain rather than a custom .co.nz domain can make a business look amateur to local customers.
Limited SEO controls and slow loading speeds on free tiers can prevent your site from appearing in search results.
Transparent hosting models allow you to build for free and only pay when you are ready to go live.
Serious businesses benefit from professional-grade tools that offer a clear path to growth without data lock-in.

Starting a new business in New Zealand often involves a tight budget and a long list of priorities. It is tempting to look at "free" website builders as a quick way to tick the digital box without spending a cent. However, the reality of these platforms often involves significant trade-offs that can hinder your growth before you even get off the ground. In our experience, many small to medium-sized businesses in New Zealand still do not have a website; especially with 8 out of 10 Kiwis searching online for information and prices before making purchasing decisions . When such a high percentage of your potential customers are looking for you online, showing up with a site that looks unprofessional or is buried in search results creates a massive business risk.

The Hidden Trade-offs of Free Platforms

Free website builders are designed as entry-level tools, but they often come with strings attached that affect your brand's credibility. One of the most common issues we see is the requirement to use a subdomain. Instead of a professional address like yourbusiness.co.nz, you are often stuck with something like yourbusiness.wixsite.com. Research shows that some website builders force you to use a subdomain, which looks unprofessional and hurts SEO . For a local plumber in Palmerston North or a boutique in Blenheim, this immediately signals to a customer that the business might not be established or serious about its digital presence.

Beyond the URL, free plans usually involve forced advertising. These platforms place their own branding or third-party ads on your pages to recoup their costs. This means your competitors' ads could potentially appear right next to your service descriptions. Most free plans include forced advertising, a non-professional subdomain, and limited storage and bandwidth , which ultimately makes them unsuitable for a growing brand. Your website should be a clean, focused environment that guides a customer toward a purchase, not a billboard for the company that provided the software.

SEO Limitations and Search Visibility

Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, is the practice of improving your website so it ranks higher when people search for your services on Google. Free builders often restrict your access to the technical settings required for effective SEO. We have seen this happen when businesses wonder why their site never appears on the first page of results despite having great content. The truth is that free tiers rarely suit a long-term brand because they often come with ads, subdomains, and locked advanced tools that are necessary for proper search performance.

Kiwis are savvy researchers. If your site takes too long to load because it is hosted on a crowded free server, they will click away to a competitor. Speed is a critical factor in how Google ranks sites. Free platforms often throttle your bandwidth, meaning your site might slow down or even crash if you get a sudden influx of visitors from a local social media post. Investing in a platform that prioritises performance ensures you do not lose those search-driven customers.

The Honest Alternative for Kiwi Businesses

We believe there is a better way to support local businesses without the "free" catches. Our approach allows you to start building your site for free without needing a credit card or signing a lock-in contract. You only start paying for hosting once you are happy with the design and ready to put it live. This model removes the risk of being stuck with a platform that does not work for you, while ensuring that once you go live, your site is professional, ad-free, and ready for your own domain name.

Our DIY plans are designed to be affordable while providing professional-grade features. We offer an AI Generated One Page site for $19 per month, which is perfect for those who need a fast, credible presence. For businesses that need more room to grow, our Starter Website at $35 per month provides unlimited customisable pages and better search engine performance. If you are looking to sell products, our Online Store plan at $55 per month includes mobile store management and an AI assistant to help with your copy. You can find more details in our step-by-step guide to building your own site in NZ .

Planning for Long-Term Growth

As your business evolves, your website needs to evolve with it. One of the biggest pains with generic free builders is data lock-in. If you outgrow the platform, moving your content and design to a new provider can be a technical nightmare. We avoid this by providing a clear upgrade path. Whether you start with a simple DIY site or eventually decide you want a professional team to take over the design, the transition is straightforward. For those who want a high-end result from day one, a full breakdown of NZ website costs in 2025 shows that professional builds start at $999 for a basic one-page site or $2,499 for a comprehensive multi-page presence.

Choosing a website builder is a long-term business decision. While the lure of a $0 price tag is strong, the actual cost in lost leads, poor SEO, and unprofessional branding is often much higher. By choosing a low-cost, professional-grade builder, you ensure that your business is ready to capture the 8 out of 10 Kiwis who are looking for you online right now. A small, rational investment in quality hosting today prevents a costly and frustrating migration tomorrow. We are here to help you build something that lasts, starting with a platform that respects your brand and your budget.

A Small Business Guide to UX vs. UI: Why Both Matter for Your Website

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:12:45 GMT

UX vs UI: What’s the Difference and Why Your NZ Business Needs Both?

Key Takeaways

UI (User Interface) focuses on the visual elements like colours, buttons, and fonts that visitors interact with.
UX (User Experience) encompasses the overall feeling and ease of use a visitor has while navigating your site.
Great design influences nearly all first impressions and can significantly lift your conversion rates.
A successful website requires a balance of both beautiful visuals and intuitive functionality to turn visitors into customers.

If you have spent any time looking for a website designer in New Zealand, you have likely bumped into the terms UX and UI. They are often grouped together as if they are the same thing, but they play very different roles in how your website performs. For a small business owner, understanding this distinction is the difference between owning a site that looks pretty and owning a site that actually makes money.

Nearly all your visitors are judging your business on design within a split second. Research shows that 94% of first impressions of a website are based on its design. This happens in about 0.05 seconds, meaning your visitors have decided whether to trust you before they have even read your first paragraph. This split-second judgement is where UI and UX start their work.

The Saddle and the Ride: A Simple Analogy

In our experience, the easiest way to wrap your head around these concepts is to think of a horse and rider. The User Interface (UI) consists of the saddle, the stirrups, and the reins. These are the physical things you see, touch, and use to control the horse. The User Experience (UX) is the feeling of the ride itself. Is it smooth? Do you feel safe? Can you get where you want to go without falling off? A beautiful, hand-carved leather saddle (great UI) is useless if the horse is unpredictable and the path is blocked by a fallen tree (poor UX).

On a website, the UI is the visual layer. It includes your brand colours, the shape of your buttons, the typography, and the layout of the images. The UX is the journey. It is the ease with which a customer finds your phone number, the speed at which your pages load, and the logic of your menu. When we build a site, we ensure the "saddle" looks professional and the "ride" feels effortless.

Why UI Matters: The Visual Handshake

UI is the visual handshake you offer a potential customer. If you run a law firm in Lower Hutt, your UI needs to scream "professional" and "reliable." This means using clean lines, authoritative colours, and easy-to-read fonts. If you run a trendy cafe in Christchurch, your UI might be more vibrant and playful. UI creates the mood and sets the expectation for the quality of your service.

A common mistake we observe is business owners focusing entirely on UI. They want the "wow factor" and flashy animations. While these look great, they can sometimes get in the way of the user. A button that is beautiful but impossible to find is a UI failure. We believe that UI should always serve the purpose of the site, guiding the eye toward the most important information.

The Power of UX: Turning Visitors into Customers

UX represents a practical bottom-line asset for your business. It focuses on solving problems for the user. If a visitor arrives at your site looking for a plumber in Petone, they want to know three things: Do you do the work they need? Are you local? How do they contact you? Good UX ensures those answers are obvious within seconds.

Investing in UX yields a significant return on investment. Some studies suggest that every $1 invested in UX returns about $100 in value . This is because a site that is easy to use removes the friction that stops people from buying. When a website is intuitive, visitors feel confident. When they feel confident, they click "enquire."

Great UX design can drive website conversion rates by up to 400% . A conversion is simply a visitor completing a goal, such as filling out a contact form or making a purchase. By making the journey simple, you stop people from "bouncing" or leaving your site in frustration. Around 88% of users say they are unlikely to return to a site after a bad experience, so getting the UX right the first time is vital.

What a High-Performing Website Looks Like

A high-performing website blends these two disciplines. It uses UI to build trust and UX to drive action. For example, a clear "Book Now" button is a UI element. The fact that the button is placed exactly where the user expects it to be, and leads to a simple, three-field form, is UX. We follow a specific blueprint for a high-performing NZ website to ensure these elements work in harmony.

In our experience, many DIY websites suffer from "clutter." The owner tries to put everything on the home page, which ruins the UX. We focus on a "mobile-first" approach. Since most Kiwis browse on their phones, the UI must be thumb-friendly and the UX must be lightning-fast. A one-second delay in page response can reduce conversions by over 4%, so technical performance is a core part of the user experience.

How a Professional Website Designer Thinks

When you hire a professional website designer, you are paying for more than just someone who knows how to use software. You are hiring someone who understands human behaviour. We look at your business goals and map out a path for your customers. We use core web design principles like visual hierarchy and intuitive navigation to make sure your site works as hard as you do.

We have seen many businesses struggle with "pretty but confusing" sites. They might have stunning photography, but the menu is hidden behind a strange icon that no one understands. Our job is to bridge that gap. We ensure your brand looks modern and professional while making sure the path to a sale is as clear as possible.

Affordable UX and UI for New Zealand Businesses

Many small business owners worry that high-end UX and UI design are only for big corporations with massive budgets. We have structured our services to make professional design accessible to every Kiwi operator. Whether you need a simple landing page or a full online store, we apply these same principles of quality design and ease of use.

We offer a professional website designer in New Zealand service with two clear ways to pay. Our Pay As You Go model starts from $124.99 per month with no up-front fee. This includes professional design, content creation, hosting, and even an hour of changes every month. It also includes a full site redesign every three years to keep your UI fresh and your UX up to date.

If you prefer to own everything outright, our Pay Up Front professional website design starts from $1,999 including GST. This covers the design and content creation with unlimited revisions until you are happy. For businesses with specific needs, we have a range of packages including a Basic One Page Website for $999 + GST, a Comprehensive Website for $2,499 + GST, or a full Online Store for $2,999 + GST. Annual hosting starts from $365 per year, providing a secure and fast foundation for your site.

Choosing the Right Path for Your Site

The choice between focusing on UI or UX is a false one. You need both to succeed in the modern NZ market. A site with great UI but poor UX is a beautiful car with no engine. A site with great UX but poor UI is a high-performance engine in a rusted-out frame. Neither will get you where you want to go.

If your current website feels clunky or isn't generating the leads you expected, it is likely a UX or UI issue. We can help you identify those bottlenecks and build a site that reflects the quality of your business. Our goal is to provide affordable, high-quality solutions that help local businesses grow. If you are ready to see what a balanced, high-performing website can do for your bottom line, let's have a chat about how we can help.

Affordable Websites in Auckland: Don't Pay Big City Prices for a World-Class Site

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:15:04 GMT

How Much Does a Website Really Cost in Auckland?

One of the biggest frustrations for any business owner is the lack of price transparency in the web design industry. How much should a website cost? The answer you'll often get is, "it depends." While that's true to an extent, years of industry data give us a very clear picture of the typical market rates. And for Auckland, those rates are often inflated.

To give you a clear, unbiased view, we’ve looked at several recent 2025 pricing guides from other NZ digital agencies and consultants. Their numbers confirm what we hear from our clients every day.

The Standard Agency Price Tag: The $3,000 to $8,000+ Reality

When you approach a traditional web design agency in Auckland, you're not just paying for a designer's time. You're covering their office rent, their large payroll, their project managers, and their sales team. All of this overhead gets baked into your quote.

Here’s what independent sources are reporting for 2025:

Auckland-based RDS WebTech notes in its 2025 cost guide that while prices vary, “ most SMB sites land between $2,500 and $5,000 ex-GST .” Their own table lists a standard 5-7 page business website in the $2,500 – $5,000 range, with e-commerce builds jumping to $5,000 – $12,000 .
Looking at the wider NZ market, NiKa Consulting’s 2025 guide states that “ today, in 2025, you can expect a basic, clean website built from a template to cost between $3,000 and $6,000 NZD .” It breaks down a typical 3-5 page brochure website at $3,000 – $6,000 , with larger custom sites easily reaching $7,000 to $20,000 NZD or more .
Digital Presence, another NZ agency, confirms the high cost of going with a creative agency. Their 2025 guide puts a typical 5–10 page small business website from a “ Creative Digital Agency ” at $5,000 – $15,000+ upfront .

The pattern is clear. For a professional, multi-page business website in Auckland, you are expected to budget anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000, and often much more. For many sole traders, startups, and community organisations, that’s simply not feasible.

Is a Facebook Page Enough? Here’s What Your Customers Think

Faced with those high costs, it’s tempting to think, "Can't I just get by with a Facebook page and an Instagram profile?" We understand the logic, but the data tells a powerful story about a massive missed opportunity.

Recent 2025 research from InternetNZ, the organisation that manages the .nz domain, revealed a shocking gap. It found that " nearly half of businesses, 47 percent, don’t have a website ." The situation is even more critical for the smallest players, with "just one in four" sole traders having a dedicated site.

Here's the problem with that picture.

The very same research found that " nearly three-quarters of the individuals surveyed said a business or organisation’s website is the most important tool for engagement ."

Think about that. While businesses are neglecting websites, customers are actively seeking them out for information and to build trust. A social media profile is rented space; it’s fleeting, and you’re bound by the platform's rules and algorithms. Your website is your digital home base. It’s your 24/7 salesperson, your portfolio, and your primary tool for establishing credibility.

The same 2025 InternetNZ summary report also highlighted that a website is seen as the most critical digital asset by businesses themselves, with " 61 percent rank[ing] it the most important digital tool for a business’s success ." This tells us that successful businesses know the value of a professional online presence. It's the ones without a site that are being left behind.

Our Solution: High-Performance Web Design Auckland Businesses Can Afford

We started 543 Website Design because we believe every New Zealand business deserves a brilliant website, not just the ones with deep pockets. We’ve structured our entire process to deliver agency-level quality and performance without the bloated agency costs. We don't have a flashy office in the CBD, and we don't employ a massive sales team. We focus on efficient, intelligent design and pass those savings directly to you.

Our approach is simple: provide high-quality web design Auckland wide at a price that local businesses can actually afford. We build our sites on Duda, a world-class platform known for its incredible speed, top-tier security, and powerful SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) capabilities. This means your site will not only look amazing but will also be built on a foundation designed to rank well on Google and convert visitors into customers.

Best of all, every website we build comes with an incredibly easy-to-use editor, so you can make simple updates yourself without needing to call (and pay) a developer.

Let’s compare our specific Auckland packages to the industry averages you just saw. When you're used to seeing quotes for $5,000+, our transparent, flat-fee pricing is a breath of fresh air. You can explore our full range of Auckland web design packages on our service page, but here’s a quick overview:

Starter Website: A professional 5-page informational site, perfect for new businesses or those needing a sharp online brochure. While the market average starts at $2,500-$3,000, our Auckland package is just $1,739 + GST .
Premium Website: Our most popular option. You get unlimited pages, a customer-focused design to showcase all your services, and enhanced SEO performance. Instead of the typical $5,000+, our package is only $2,174 + GST .
Online Store: Ready to sell your products online? We’ll set you up with a powerful, mobile-friendly ecommerce solution. While agencies often charge $5,000–$12,000 for this, our Auckland online store package is just $2,608 + GST .

And if you're just starting out and need something even simpler, we can help. Just ask us about our $869 + GST one page website design . It’s the perfect digital business card to get you online professionally and fast.

A Price Point for Every Budget: How Our Costs Compare

Transparency is everything to us. It’s a core part of our philosophy. That's why we publish our prices openly on our website. We believe you should know exactly what you’re paying and what you’re getting for your money before you even pick up the phone.

While our Auckland page has special deals, our national pricing is just as competitive and provides even more options for businesses across New Zealand. As we detail on our own guide to website design costs in NZ for 2025 , a professional agency site doesn't have to cost the earth. Our analysis shows average small business websites now sit in the $3,000–$8,000 range, which makes our offers stand out.

You can see our full pricing breakdown at any time, but here are our standard flat-fee packages, which all include GST and a 20% discount for online enquiries:

Basic One Page Website – $999 (incl. GST): This is your business card on the internet. It's professional, sharp, and gives you a credible online presence fast.
Comprehensive Website – $2,499 (incl. GST): Our best-value informational package. You get as many pages as you need and full access to all platform features to properly showcase your business.
Online Store – $2,999 (incl. GST): A complete ecommerce solution for selling physical or digital products. This is a fraction of the cost you'd pay a typical agency for a store with the same powerful features.

We also keep our ongoing costs clear and simple. Our annual hosting fees are transparent, ranging from just $365 to $549 per year depending on your package, covering security, speed, and support.

Are you looking for the most affordable option?

We get it. Sometimes cash flow is tight, especially when you're just starting. If you're happy to roll up your sleeves, our DIY website builder is the cheapest way to get a professional-looking site online. You can start for free to test it out, and when you're ready to go live, our plans start from as little as $19 per month . You get access to the same powerful, easy-to-use platform that our design team uses, but you control the build yourself.

More Than Just a Website: SEO, Support, and Long-Term Growth

Getting a website built is just the first step. A great website should be a living asset that grows with your business. That's where our model truly shines and provides long-term value for Auckland businesses.

1. Built for Google (SEO)

What’s the point of having a beautiful website if no one can find it? Every site we build is structured with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in mind. This means we use clean code, ensure fast loading times, and create a mobile-friendly design—all critical factors that Google loves. This gives your small business the best possible chance to rank in local search results and attract customers actively looking for your services in Auckland.

2. You’re in Control (Easy Editing)

We’ve heard horror stories of business owners being charged $150 an hour just to change a line of text or update a photo. That’s not how we work. We build your site on a platform that is incredibly intuitive. After a quick tutorial, you'll be able to confidently update text, swap out images, add blog posts, and manage your services. It gives you the freedom to keep your site fresh without being locked into expensive maintenance retainers.

3. Real NZ-Based Support

When you have a question, you don't want to be lodging a support ticket with an overseas call centre. Our team is based right here in New Zealand. We know the platform inside and out and we understand the challenges facing Kiwi business owners. When you need help, you’ll be talking to an expert who is invested in your success.

4. A Full-Service Partner

As your business grows, your needs will change. We can grow with you. Beyond the initial web design, we offer a full suite of digital marketing services to help you succeed online. This includes logo design and branding packages to create a cohesive identity, ongoing SEO services to climb the Google rankings, and targeted online advertising to drive immediate traffic. We’re here to be your long-term digital partner.

Stop Paying Auckland Premiums: Get Your Professional Website Today

Your business deserves a place online that you can be proud of—a place that builds trust, attracts customers, and drives growth. You shouldn't have to choose between a cheap, ineffective DIY site and an overpriced agency build that drains your budget.

There is a better way. You can get a fast, beautiful, and effective business website designed by experts right here in NZ, all for a flat, honest price that is hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars less than the Auckland average.

Stop letting high quotes hold you back. It’s time to get the professional online presence your hard work deserves.

Ready to see what's possible? Check out our affordable web design packages for Auckland businesses and let's get started.

DIY Website Builder vs. Hiring a Pro: A Candid Cost-Benefit Analysis

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 02:25:22 GMT

DIY Website Builder vs. Professional Web Design: Which Path is Right for Your NZ Business?

Key Takeaways

Cost Analysis: A DIY website builder offers a low monthly subscription, while professional design involves a larger upfront investment for a custom, high-performance asset.
Time Commitment: Building your own website requires a significant time investment in learning, design, and content creation. A professional designer frees you up to focus on running your business.
Technical Skill: DIY website builders require no coding knowledge, using drag-and-drop editors. Professional design handles all technical aspects for you, from hosting to launch.
Performance & SEO: While DIY tools have SEO features, a professionally built website is typically optimised from the ground up for superior speed and search engine ranking potential.
The 543 Advantage: We offer both paths, meaning you get the expertise of a Kiwi design agency whether you build it yourself or we build it for you.

For any Kiwi small business or entrepreneur, getting online is a critical step. But the first big question you face can be a tough one: should you use a DIY website builder, or hire a professional web designer? It’s a decision that pits your budget against your time, and your creative vision against your technical comfort level.

We're in a unique position to answer this. Why? Because at 543 Design, we offer both. We have a powerful, easy-to-use DIY website builder for those who want to take the wheel, and a dedicated team of professional designers for those who want an expert-built solution. We’ve seen hundreds of Kiwis succeed down both paths.

This article is our honest, first-hand guide. We'll break down the real costs, time commitments, and outcomes of each option to help you make the best choice for your business goals.

Cost Comparison: Upfront Investment vs. Ongoing Expenses

Let's talk money. It's often the first and most significant factor for a small business. The financial models for DIY and professional design are fundamentally different.

The DIY website builder path is defined by a low, predictable monthly subscription. It's an operational expense, much like your phone bill. In our experience, this is a fantastic option for businesses testing an idea or operating on a tight initial budget. You can get a beautiful, functional website live without a large upfront cash outlay. For instance, our plans are designed to be incredibly accessible.

A Starter Website is just $19 per month .
An Online Store with full ecommerce capability is $35 per month .

The best part? You can start building your site completely for free to see if it works for you. You only pay when you’re ready to publish your website and go live. We encourage you to explore our free website builder to get a feel for the platform.

On the other hand, professional web design is an upfront capital investment. You are paying for a team's time, expertise, and the creation of a custom business asset. While the initial number is higher, treating it as a direct path to growth is the key to unlocking its value. A professionally designed website is built to convert visitors into customers from day one.

So, how much should it cost to have someone build a website in NZ? Our professional packages include design, build, and setup:

A Basic One Page Website starts at $999 + $365/year for hosting .
A Comprehensive Multi-Page Website starts at $2,499 + $365/year for hosting .
A full-featured Online Store starts at $2,999 + $549/year for hosting .

For a complete breakdown of what's included in each package, you can see all the details on our transparent pricing page .

Time Investment: Your Most Valuable Asset

What's more valuable than money? For a business owner, it's often time.

Choosing the DIY route means you are trading your time for a lower financial cost. Building a website, even with a user-friendly website builder, takes hours. There's the learning curve of the platform, the time spent selecting a website template, customising the layout, writing all your own website copy, and sourcing images. It's a rewarding process if you enjoy it, but it's a significant commitment.

A common mistake we observe is underestimating this time cost. We’ve seen many enthusiastic business owners start a DIY project with the best intentions, only for it to sit unfinished for months because running their actual business rightly took priority.

Hiring a professional designer flips the equation. You are investing money to save huge amounts of your time. Our process is designed to be efficient. We gather your requirements, understand your brand, and then we get to work. While we need your input and feedback at key stages, the heavy lifting of design, development, and testing is entirely on us. This frees you up to do what you do best: serve your customers and grow your business.

Customisation & Flexibility: Template vs. Tailor-Made

How unique does your website need to be?

A DIY website builder starts with a collection of professionally designed website templates. This is a massive advantage, as it gives you a fantastic starting point with a solid layout and design. From there, you can use a drag-and-drop editor to change colours, fonts, images, and content to match your brand. Our builder makes it easy to create a beautiful website.

However, you are ultimately working within the framework of that template. For most businesses, this is more than enough. But if you have a very specific vision for the user journey or need a unique feature that isn't standard, a template can feel restrictive.

A professional website design offers virtually limitless customisation. We start with a blank canvas and your business goals. Need a complex booking system, a member login area, or a special calculator? We can build it. We design a fully custom website that not only looks exactly how you want but is also strategically structured to guide visitors towards your specific calls to action. It’s a tailor-made suit versus a very nice off-the-rack one.

Required Technical Skills: Can I create a website without knowing how to code?

Yes, you absolutely can. Modern DIY website builders are designed precisely for people with zero coding experience. If you can use a computer and browse the internet, you have all the technical skill you need to build your own website.

Our platform, for example, uses an intuitive drag-and-drop editor. You click on elements, move them around, and type directly on the screen. We also have AI tools, like an AI writer, to help you generate content and streamline the process. You can connect a custom domain name and get your web hosting sorted through the platform without touching a single line of code.

With a professional designer, the technical requirement on your end is zero. We handle everything. We'll help you find the perfect domain, set up secure web hosting, configure your email, and ensure the entire technical backend of the site is flawless. You don't need to know what a DNS record is or how to optimise an image; that's our job.

SEO & Performance: Getting Found and Keeping Visitors

Creating a beautiful website is one thing. Getting people to find it and stay on it is another challenge entirely. This is where SEO and performance come in.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the practice of making your site more attractive to search engines like Google. Better SEO means a higher ranking, which means more traffic and potential customers.

Our DIY website builder has built-in marketing tools and SEO features that allow you to edit page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt-text. These are the fundamentals. But effective SEO requires strategy and consistent effort to optimise your site. The tools are there, but the expertise to use them effectively to grow your business rests with you.

Performance, especially site speed, is a massive factor in both SEO and user experience. A slow website is a business killer. In fact, as research from industry experts highlights, over half of internet users expect websites to load quickly, within two seconds of clicking a link . If your site takes longer than three seconds to load, visitors are likely to abandon it and probably never return. Google knows this, and it penalises slow sites in its rankings.

When we build a professional website, we obsess over performance. We optimise images, streamline code, and use high-quality hosting to ensure your site is lightning-fast. This provides a better experience for your visitors and gives you a significant advantage in search rankings from the moment you launch.

Ongoing Maintenance & Support: Who Keeps the Lights On?

A website is not a "set and forget" project. It needs ongoing attention to stay secure, functional, and relevant.

With a DIY site, the responsibility for maintenance is yours. This includes updating your content, adding new products or services, and ensuring everything is running smoothly. The platform itself is maintained by us, but the content is your domain.

This is where being with 543 Design offers a unique safety net that you won't find with massive overseas corporations. With 543 you are getting the best of both worlds. First and foremost we are a kiwi website design agency, so we're here to help. As we often tell our clients, if you want to build a site yourself, you know you'll be backed up by a top NZ website designer, and if you get us to build your site, you'll be able to easily manage your site through the drag and drop editor . That local, expert support is always there.

When we build and host your site, our professional hosting packages include ongoing support and technical maintenance. We handle the security updates, backups, and performance monitoring, ensuring your investment is always protected and running at its best.

So, Which Path Is Right for You?

There's no single right answer. The best choice truly depends on your specific business needs, your budget, and how you value your time.

The DIY Website Builder path is likely for you if:

You have more time than money available right now.
You enjoy creative control and want to be hands-on with your project.
Your website needs are relatively straightforward (e.g., brochure site, simple blog, basic online store).
You are comfortable learning a new, user-friendly system.

The Professional Web Design path is a better fit if:

Your time is your most valuable asset, and you want to spend it on your core business.
You need a custom website with specific features or complex functionality.
You want to ensure your website is perfectly optimised for SEO and speed from day one.
You prefer having an expert partner to guide you through the process and manage the technical details.

Ultimately, both paths lead to the same goal: a powerful online presence that helps your business thrive. We're proud to offer a solution for every kind of Kiwi business. If you're ready to take the next step, we invite you to explore your options and see which one feels right for you.

How to Choose the Right Web Design Agency in NZ: 7 Red Flags to Avoid

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:27:11 GMT

How to Choose the Right Website Design Agency in NZ: 7 Red Flags to Avoid

Key Takeaways

A trustworthy web design agency will have a strong, verifiable portfolio and genuine client testimonials you can check.
Pricing should be transparent and upfront. Be cautious of vague quotes or agencies that are reluctant to discuss costs clearly.
The agency's process should be clear. They must explain how they move from concept to a live website.
A good website is more than just looks. Ensure the agency has proven technical and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) expertise.
Effective communication is non-negotiable. The right partner will be responsive and offer ongoing support after your site launches.

Choosing a web design agency can feel like a massive gamble, especially for a small business in New Zealand. Your website is your digital front door, your 24/7 salesperson, and often the first impression you make. Get it right, and it becomes a powerful asset to help your business grow. Get it wrong, and you’re left with an expensive, underperforming website that does more harm than good.

Over the years, we’ve spoken to countless NZ businesses that have been burned by a bad experience. They come to us frustrated, out of pocket, and with a website that simply doesn’t work for them. It’s why we’re so passionate about transparency.

To help you make a confident choice, we've put together this guide based on our first-hand experience. These are the seven critical red flags you need to watch out for when selecting a web design company.

Red Flag #1: A Weak or Non-Existent Portfolio

This is the most obvious red flag, yet it’s one people sometimes overlook. If a web design agency can’t show you a solid body of work they’re proud of, you should be extremely cautious. A portfolio is their proof of competence. When you review it, don't just glance at the pretty pictures. Click through to the live sites. Do they load quickly? Are they easy to navigate? Do they work well on your mobile phone?

A common mistake we observe is businesses being wowed by a slick design mock-up that doesn't translate into a functional, responsive website. Look for variety in their portfolio. Have they worked with businesses similar to yours? Do they have experience with an ecommerce website if that's what you need?

Alongside a portfolio, look for social proof. Real testimonials from real clients are worth their weight in gold. For example, we were thrilled when Dom Harvey told us, "Thanks so much! Honestly, the site is so much better (and was so much cheaper to build) than I ever expected... I’d recommend you guys to anyone Humphries". That kind of feedback tells you you’re looking at a company that delivers on its promises. If an agency’s testimonials are vague or anonymous, ask yourself why. A great agency will have a gallery of professional New Zealand website design examples and happy clients to back it up.

Red Flag #2: A Vague or Mysterious Process

“So, how does this all work?” If an agency can’t give you a clear, step-by-step answer to this question, run for the hills. The website design process shouldn't be a secret. While every design and development project is unique, a professional agency will have a structured workflow that they can walk you through.

Typically, this should look something like this:

Discovery & Strategy: They ask lots of questions about your business, your goals, your target audience, and your competitors.
Design & Mock-ups: They create visual concepts for your approval, showing you what your new website will look like.
Development: Their designers and developers build the functional website based on the approved design.
Review & Revisions: You get to test the site and provide feedback for them to implement.
Launch: They handle the technical side of taking the website live.
Training & Handover: They show you how to use your new site.

If a web designer is cagey about their process, it often means they don’t have one. This can lead to endless revisions, missed deadlines, and a final product that doesn’t match what you envisioned.

Red Flag #3: Opaque Pricing and Hidden Fees

This is a huge one. We’ve seen so many NZ businesses get stung by hidden costs. The initial quote looks fantastic, but then the invoices start rolling in for "extras" you thought were included - things like adding a contact form, basic SEO setup, or making the site mobile-friendly.

A trustworthy web design company is upfront about costs. They should be able to provide you with clear pricing or, at the very least, a detailed proposal that outlines exactly what is and isn’t included. Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions: "Does this price include GST?", "Are there any ongoing fees for hosting or maintenance?", "What is the cost if I need extra pages or features down the line?".

Our philosophy has always been clear. As we often say, we think that every business and individual in New Zealand should be able to get online and perform well without needing to spend huge sums. With that in mind, we've come up with a price point for every budget . For us, that means transparent packages like our Basic One Page Website for $999, a Standard Website for $1,999, or a full Online Store for $2,999 (all including GST with our online inquiry discount). If an agency can’t provide this level of clarity, it’s a major red flag that you might be in for some nasty financial surprises.

Red Flag #4: Poor Communication and Support

From the very first email or phone call, pay attention to how the agency communicates. Are they responsive? Do they answer your questions clearly and patiently? Or do you have to chase them for a reply?

Imagine this level of communication (or lack thereof) when you’re in the middle of your website build and have an urgent question. A web design project is a partnership. You need a design team that acts like one. Furthermore, what happens after your stunning new website goes live? Your online presence doesn’t end at launch. Ask about their ongoing support and maintenance plans. If the website goes down, who do you call? If you need a small change made, what’s the process? An agency that seems eager to get the project done and disappear is not a long-term partner.

Red Flag #5: A Lack of Technical and SEO Knowledge

A beautiful website is completely useless if no one can find it. This is where technical expertise and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) come in. SEO is the practice of optimising your website so that it shows up higher in search engine results on Google. It’s absolutely critical for getting organic traffic.

A red flag is an agency that only talks about design, colour, and fonts. A great web design service will also talk about:

Mobile Responsiveness: Ensuring your website looks and works perfectly on all devices, from desktops to smartphones. This is non-negotiable today.
Site Speed: How fast your pages load. Slow websites frustrate users and are penalised by search engines.
Clean Code: Building the site on a solid technical foundation that search engines can easily understand.
On-Page SEO: Structuring your site with proper headings, meta titles, and descriptions to help it rank.

Ask them directly: "How do you ensure the websites you build are optimised for search engines?" If they can't give you a confident, detailed answer, they are likely just a graphic design shop that happens to build websites, not a true web development company that understands how to create a website that drives results.

Red Flag #6: No Genuine Client Testimonials

This is related to the portfolio but deserves its own point. A list of client logos is one thing, but genuine, verifiable reviews are another. Look for testimonials that are specific. "They did a great job" is nice, but it doesn't tell you much. A review that says, "They increased our online leads by 50% and were fantastic to work with throughout the entire process" gives you real insight.

Don't just take their word for it. Do a quick search for the agency's name on Google and see if they have a Google Business Profile with reviews. What are people saying about them on an independent platform? An absence of any online footprint or reviews can be just as telling as a collection of bad ones.

Red Flag #7: They Don’t Ask About Your Business Goals

This is perhaps the most subtle but most important red flag. If a web designer's first questions are all about the number of pages you want and what colours you like, they're missing the point. They are treating your website as a brochure, not a business tool.

A true partner, a genuine web design agency, will start by asking about your business. Who are your customers? What problems do you solve for them? What do you want your website to achieve? Do you want it to generate leads, sell products, book appointments, or simply build brand credibility? The answers to these questions should shape the entire design and development strategy. If they don't ask, it means they're planning to give you a cookie-cutter solution that isn't tailored to your specific business needs.

Making the Right Choice for Your Business

Choosing a web design company is a big decision, but it doesn't have to be a blind one. By watching for these red flags, you can filter out the cowboys and find a genuine partner who will help your business succeed online. Look for transparency, a proven track record, clear communication, and a focus on your business goals.

This brings up the final big question many business owners face. Now that you know what to look for in an agency, should you hire one, or could you do it yourself? The answer isn't the same for everyone. In our experience, whether you decide to build a website yourself or get a professional website design to do it for you will depend on your skillset, available time and current budget . Exploring the pros and cons of each path is the best next step to making a truly informed decision.

A Complete Guide to Local SEO for NZ Businesses

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 23:41:47 GMT

Local SEO for NZ Businesses: Your Ultimate Guide to Getting Found

Key Takeaways

Mastering your Google Business Profile is the most critical first step for local visibility, acting as your digital storefront on Google.
Focusing on local keywords, such as 'electrician in Tauranga', in your website content helps you connect with customers actively searching for your services.
Encouraging genuine customer reviews is essential for building trust and improving your local search rankings.
A professionally built, mobile-friendly website is the basis of any successful local SEO strategy, making it easier for customers to find and contact you.

If you run a small business in New Zealand, you know that your local community is your lifeblood. But how do you make sure they can find you when they need you most? In our experience, the answer lies in mastering local search.

The numbers don't lie. An incredible 97% of people search online to find a local business. Even more powerfully, 78% of local searches made on a mobile phone result in an offline purchase. Think about that. Someone searches for "best pies in Napier" on their phone, and a short while later, they're walking into a bakery. That's the power we're talking about.

This guide is our step-by-step plan to help you turn your website into a magnet for local customers. We'll break down local SEO - that’s Search Engine Optimisation for a specific geographic area - into simple, actionable steps you can start using today.

Why Local SEO is a Must-Have for Your NZ Business

So, what makes local search so important for a Kiwi business? It’s all about intent. When someone types "emergency plumber Christchurch" into Google, they aren't just browsing. They have an immediate, specific need. You need to be the answer they find.

The opportunity is massive. Research shows that 46% of all searches on Google include local intent . That's nearly half of all search traffic looking for a business just like yours. And the connection between a search and a sale is incredibly direct. Another study found that over 76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a related business within a day . They search, they find, they visit. Your goal is to be the business they find.

Step 1: Master Your Google Business Profile (GBP)

Before you do anything else, focus on your Google Business Profile. Think of it as your digital shopfront. It's the information box that appears in Google Maps and on the right-hand side of search results, showing your address, hours, phone number, and reviews.

It is, without a doubt, the cornerstone of local SEO.

Here’s what we always tell our clients to do:

Claim and Verify It: Go to Google and search for your business name. If a profile exists, claim it. If not, create one. Google will send a postcard with a verification code to your physical address to prove you're really there.
Complete Every Single Section: Don't skip anything. Add your services, opening hours, accessibility information, high-quality photos of your premises and work, and a clear business description. The more complete it is, the more Google trusts you.
Use Google Posts: Share updates, offers, and news directly on your profile. It shows Google (and customers) that you're active.

Step 2: Find the Right Local Keywords

To attract local customers, you need to speak their language. That means figuring out the exact phrases they're typing into Google. These are your "local keywords."

It's simpler than it sounds. Just put yourself in your customer's shoes. If you were looking for a cafe in Dunedin, you wouldn't just search for "cafe." You'd search for "cafe Dunedin," "best coffee in Dunedin," or "brunch spots near Octagon."

Make a list of these common-sense terms. Think about your main services and add your town, city, or even suburb to them. "Landscaper in Hamilton," "boutique clothing Queenstown," "IT support Ponsonby." These are the phrases you'll want to weave naturally into your website content.

Step 3: Optimise Your Website for Local Search

Your Google Business Profile gets them to the door, but your website closes the deal. It needs to be fast, easy to use on a mobile phone, and clearly signal to Google where you operate.

A common mistake we observe is having a great-looking site that isn't structured for local search. Your website is the foundation, and if the foundation isn't right, everything else is harder.

One of the most effective strategies is creating location-specific pages. For instance, if you're a builder serving the wider Auckland region, having a single homepage isn't enough. You should have dedicated pages for your key service areas. This allows you to talk specifically to customers in those places. For example, we have a lot of experience building high converting Auckland website designs that are built from the ground up to be fast, secure, and search engine friendly, giving our clients a real head start, and so we have a page specifically focussed on Auckland. The same goes for Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and a host of other locations in New Zealand.

Make sure your address and phone number are clearly visible, ideally in the footer of every page. This consistency helps Google connect your website to your physical location.

Step 4: Build Local Citations and Encourage Reviews

Trust is a huge factor in local SEO. Google wants to recommend businesses that are legitimate and well-regarded. Two key ways it measures this are through citations and reviews.

A "citation" is simply a mention of your business's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) on another website. Getting listed in reputable NZ directories like Finda or Yellow is a great start. The key is consistency . Your NAP must be identical everywhere it appears online.

Customer reviews are even more powerful. They provide social proof to potential customers and are a known ranking factor. Don't be shy about asking for them. A simple follow-up email after a purchase or service, asking for feedback on your Google profile, can work wonders.

The Future is Local: Why This Matters More Than Ever

The online space is only getting more competitive. Projections show that ad spending in New Zealand's Search Advertising market is forecasted to reach US$1.13bn in 2025 . As ad costs rise, having a strong organic presence through local SEO becomes a more sustainable and cost-effective way to grow.

It’s a long-term investment in your business's visibility. As industry experts note, for businesses that serve specific regions, a powerful local SEO strategy will continue to be a major source of competitive advantage. It ensures you're visible right when a customer needs you, without having to pay for every single click.

Feeling Overwhelmed? When to Call in the Experts

We get it. You're busy running your business, and all of this can seem like another full-time job. That's where we can help.

There are a lot of "cowboy" agencies out there promising the top spot on Google overnight. Our approach is different. We believe in a safe, steady as she goes SEO strategy that builds lasting results without taking risky shortcuts that could get your site penalised. It’s about creating real, sustainable growth that you can count on.

And it doesn't have to break the bank. We pride ourselves on transparent, affordable services designed for small businesses. With clear, upfront options like our Entry Level SEO & Reporting for $299 per month or a basic Search Engine Scan and Reporting for just $69 per month, there's a path for every budget. You can see a full breakdown of our pricing with no hidden surprises.

Investing in your local online presence is one of the smartest moves you can make for your business. It connects you with customers who are actively looking for you, drives real foot traffic, and builds a foundation for long-term growth. Start with these steps, and you'll be well on your way to dominating your local market.

Your New Website is Live. Now What? An Introduction to Online Advertising

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 21:13:47 GMT

Online Advertising: Your Next Step for NZ Business Growth After a New Website

Key Takeaways

A new website is a vital foundation, but online advertising is the engine that drives immediate traffic and growth.
Online advertising in New Zealand is a significant and growing market, with search advertising leading the way.
Understanding different ad types, audience targeting, and budgeting is crucial for effective online advertising.
Key metrics like CPC, CPA, and ROAS help measure the success and return on investment of your campaigns.
543 Design offers tailored online advertising services, from entry-level Google Smart Campaigns to comprehensive management.

So, you’ve just launched your brand-new website. Congratulations! It’s a fantastic achievement and a crucial step for any small business in New Zealand looking to establish an online presence. But here’s the thing we often see: many business owners view their website as the finish line, when in reality, it’s just the starting block. To truly accelerate your business growth and get those potential customers actually seeing your beautiful new site, online advertising is the next, natural step.

Think of it this way: your website is your shop, perfectly designed and stocked. Online advertising is the grand opening, the billboards, and the friendly faces inviting people in. Without it, even the best shop can remain undiscovered. We understand that the world of digital marketing, especially online advertising, can seem a bit daunting at first. There are so many terms – PPC, CPA, ROAS – it can feel like a whole new language. Our goal is to demystify it for you, showing you how accessible and effective online advertising can be for your New Zealand business.

The scale of online advertising in our country is significant and growing. Ad spending in the New Zealand advertising market is forecasted to reach US$2.75 billion in 2025, with the largest segment being Search Advertising at US$1.13 billion. This is a massive shift in how businesses connect with their customers. You can explore more about this market growth at Statista . This data highlights why having an effective online advertising strategy is a necessity for staying competitive and growing your business.

Why Online Advertising is Essential for Your New Website

Having a website is important, but it’s a passive tool. It waits for people to find it. Online advertising, however, is proactive. It puts your business directly in front of the people who are most likely to become your customers. In our experience, waiting for organic traffic alone can be a slow burn, especially for a new website. Online ads provide immediate visibility and can generate leads and sales much faster.

A common mistake we observe is businesses investing heavily in a great website but then having no budget left for promoting it. It's like buying a fantastic car but having no petrol to drive it. Online advertising fills that tank, getting your new website noticed and bringing in the traffic it deserves.

Understanding the Different Types of Online Advertising

The beauty of online advertising is its diversity. There are several powerful types of online advertising, each with its own strengths. Knowing these will help you decide what’s best for your business.

Search Advertising (Google Ads, Bing Ads)

Search advertising, often called Paid Search or Pay-Per-Click (PPC), involves placing ads on search engine results pages (SERPs). When someone searches for a product or service you offer, your ad can appear at the top of the results. This is incredibly powerful because you're reaching people who are actively looking for what you sell.

How it works: Advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their business. When a user searches for that keyword, their ad may appear. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad – hence "Pay-Per-Click."
Why it’s effective: It captures intent. People searching for "plumber Auckland" or "wedding photographer Wellington" are often ready to buy or enquire.
Example: If you're a local bakery, you might bid on keywords like "fresh bread delivery" or "custom cakes near me."

For those looking for a deeper dive into Google Ads, we have a helpful resource: The Basics: Google Advertising , which explains the fundamentals in simple terms.

Social Media Advertising (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn Ads)

Social media advertising places your ads directly within users' social media feeds. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer incredibly sophisticated targeting options, allowing you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviours.

How it works: You create ads (images, video ads, text-based ads) and target users based on their profiles and activity.
Why it’s effective: Excellent for brand awareness, building community, and reaching a highly specific target audience, even if they aren't actively searching for your product right now.
Example: A new fashion boutique could target users interested in "sustainable clothing" or "New Zealand designers" on Instagram. LinkedIn Ads are particularly effective for B2B (business-to-business) services, allowing you to target professionals by job title, industry, and company size.

Display Advertising

Display advertising involves placing visual ads (banner ads, video ads) on websites across the internet. These ads are often delivered through advertising networks like the Google Display Network.

How it works: Ads are delivered to users browsing websites that are part of the advertising network. Targeting can be based on demographics, interests, or even what content they are viewing.
Why it’s effective: Great for brand awareness and for "retargeting" – showing ads to people who have already visited your website but didn't make a purchase.
Example: If someone visited your online store but left without buying, a display ad might show them the specific product they viewed on another website they visit later.

Targeting the Right Audience: Don't Waste Your Ad Spend

One of the most powerful aspects of online advertising is the ability to precisely target your ideal customer. Unlike traditional advertising, where you might cast a wide net, digital advertising allows you to focus your efforts, making every dollar count. This is why we always emphasise the importance of understanding who your potential customers are.

We've seen businesses achieve incredible results by defining their target audience based on:

Demographics: Age, gender, location (e.g., small businesses in Auckland), income.
Interests: Hobbies, passions, things they follow online.
Behaviours: What they search for, websites they visit, products they buy.
Intent: What they are actively looking for right now (especially for search advertising).

Effective targeting ensures your ads are delivered to the people most likely to be interested in your products or services, maximising your return on investment (ROI).

Setting a Realistic Budget for Your Online Ad Campaigns

One of the first questions we get asked is, "How much should I spend?" The answer isn't one-size-fits-all, but it's crucial to set a realistic budget. Online advertising works best when treated as an ongoing investment, not a one-off expense. Even a modest daily budget, consistently applied, can yield significant results over time.

When planning your budget, consider:

Your business goals: Are you aiming for brand awareness, lead generation, or direct sales?
Your industry and competition: Some industries have higher keyword costs than others.
Your comfort level: Start small, learn, and then scale up as you see results.

We offer a range of online advertising packages designed to suit different budgets and business needs. For new businesses, our Google Smart Campaign starts at $260 + GST, providing an entry-level managed smart campaign. We also have "Step Up Managed Ads" for $521 + GST and "Comprehensive Ad Management" from $739+ GST, allowing for increased budgets and enhanced campaign management.

Measuring Success: Key Performance Metrics

The beauty of online advertising is that almost everything can be measured. This allows you to see what’s working, what isn’t, and how to optimise your campaigns for better results. Here are some key metrics we focus on:

CPC (Cost Per Click): How much you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. A lower CPC means more clicks for your budget.
CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): The average cost to acquire a customer or a lead. This is a critical metric for understanding your profitability.
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend): This tells you how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on advertising. For example, a ROAS of 4:1 means you get $4 back for every $1 you spend.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of people who click on your ad and then complete a desired action (e.g., make a purchase, fill out a form).

Monitoring these metrics allows us to continuously refine your advertising strategy, ensuring your advertising works as hard as possible for your business.

Partnering with 543 Design for Your Online Advertising Needs

While this guide provides a solid introduction, managing effective online advertising campaigns can be complex and time-consuming. It requires ongoing optimisation, testing, and analysis. This is where 543 Design comes in. We offer expert, low-cost online advertising services specifically for New Zealand small businesses. Our goal is to help you get seen, attract more visitors to your new website, and ultimately increase your sales.

We pride ourselves on providing a high level of service, which is why we only offer these services to our website clients. If you’re ready to take your new website to the next level and start seeing real results, we offer a free, no-obligation quote for our online advertising services. You can learn more about how we can help you at our Online Advertising page .

The Future is Digital: Why Your Business Needs Online Ads

The shift to digital marketing in New Zealand isn't slowing down. According to SEEK, New Zealand saw an increase of 24% in job opportunities for digital marketing graduates in 2023. This growth underscores the increasing demand and importance of digital skills and strategies for businesses of all sizes. You can read more about this trend at Edvoy . Embracing online advertising now positions your business for future success.

Your new website is a powerful asset. By combining it with a smart online advertising strategy, you're not just opening your shop; you're ensuring everyone knows it's open for business. We’re here to help you make that happen, turning your investment into tangible growth for your New Zealand small business.

Web Design Wellington: Creative & Capital-Ready Websites

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 21:16:07 GMT

Wellington Web Design: Your Guide to a Capital-Ready Website

Key Takeaways

A professional website is a direct driver of revenue growth for NZ small businesses, with mobile-friendly designs significantly boosting leads in Wellington.
Key 2025 trends for the Wellington market include a focus on high-performance, secure, and affordable websites that meet corporate and government standards.
Partnering with an agency outside the capital, like our Hawke's Bay team, can provide Wellington-quality design without the premium price tag.
Effective websites for Wellington businesses must be fast, secure, and responsive to capture leads from a discerning audience.

In Wellington’s competitive market, standing out is everything. Your website is your hardest-working employee, your lead-generation machine, and your brand’s first impression. But is it performing at a capital level?

Investing in professional web design is a direct path to growth. According to the NZ Digital Marketing Report 2025, a staggering 78% of New Zealand small businesses attribute revenue growth directly to their professional websites. That’s a number you simply can’t ignore.

So, how do you build a website that not only looks great but also delivers real, measurable results in the unique Wellington ecosystem? From our experience, it comes down to understanding the local landscape and focusing on what truly matters: performance, security, and a clear return on investment.

The Wellington Edge: Why Your Website is Your Best Employee

The Wellington market is unique. It’s a hub of government, corporate headquarters, and ambitious small businesses, all competing for attention. In this environment, a generic, slow, or unsecure website is a liability. It actively turns away potential clients and partners.

We’ve seen it firsthand. A business with a clunky, outdated site struggles to get noticed, while a competitor with a sharp, responsive design pulls in leads effortlessly. The data backs this up. Industry reports show that in 2025, Wellington businesses experienced a 25% uplift in leads from secure, mobile-first websites. Think about that. A quarter more opportunities, just from getting your online presence right.

Your website build needs to be more than just aesthetically pleasing. It must be a tool crafted for business success, offering a flawless user experience that converts website visitors into customers.

2025 Web Design Trends Shaping the Capital

To succeed in Wellington, you need to be aware of the trends that are defining what a "good" website is. It’s not just about looks; it's about function and trust. Here’s what we’re seeing as critical for 2025.

1. Uncompromising Security and Performance

With so many government agencies and corporate clients based in Wellington, security isn't a "nice-to-have"—it's a baseline requirement. A slow or vulnerable website is a red flag. Potential clients will click away without a second thought, and search engines like Google will penalise you for it.

This is why we champion high-performance, secure platforms. In our experience, building Duda-powered websites gives our clients an edge . They are incredibly secure, load at lightning speed, and are inherently mobile-responsive, which is exactly what’s needed to build trust with a discerning Wellington audience.

2. Smart Affordability and Clear ROI

Every business owner is watching their budget. The good news is that a powerful website doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, smart businesses are looking for value. Recent market data shows that over 60% of Wellington SMEs are prioritising DIY-professional hybrid designs to balance cost and quality.

This shows a clear demand for expert web design services that are both powerful and accessible. You don't need to pay premium capital-city prices to get a website that delivers results.

The Hawke's Bay Advantage for Wellington Businesses

So, where do you find this blend of quality, performance, and affordability?

You can expand your search outside of the capital.

As a Hawke's Bay-based web design agency, we offer the perfect solution for Wellington businesses. We live and breathe NZ business, but our lower overheads mean we can provide top-tier design services at a fraction of the cost you’d expect from an agency based in Wellington. We provide the same expert web design, the same focus on SEO and user experience, and the same commitment to your success—without the capital price tag.

We offer comprehensive website design services , from branding and creating a beautiful website from scratch to providing the ongoing support you need to thrive online. It’s a stress-free process designed to give you a powerful online presence that is tailored to your business needs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does a website design cost in NZ?

The cost to design a website in NZ can vary widely. A simple one-page site will cost much less than a complex 20-page e-commerce store. Factors like the number of pages, custom features, content management system (CMS), and the level of design customisation all influence the final price. Because we operate from Hawke's Bay, we can offer more competitive pricing than many agencies based in Wellington for a comparable quality of work.

What do your web design services include?

Our design services are comprehensive. The process typically includes an initial consultation to understand your business needs, custom design mockups, the full website build on a secure and responsive platform, basic SEO setup to help you get found on search engines, and training so you can manage your own content. We also offer ongoing support and website hosting to make sure your new site runs smoothly.

Why not just use a DIY builder like Squarespace or Wix?

DIY builders are great for very simple projects or tight budgets. However, for a business serious about growth in a competitive market like Wellington, a professional web designer offers significant advantages. We provide a unique design that reflects your brand’s identity, optimise the site for user experience and SEO from the ground up, and ensure the technical performance and security are rock-solid—things that are often difficult to achieve with a template-based solution.

Ready for a Capital-Ready Website?

Your website is your single most important marketing asset. In the Wellington market, you can't afford for it to be average. You need a site that’s fast, secure, professional, and built to convert visitors into loyal customers.

And you don't need to pay a premium for it.

If you're ready for a Wellington web design that delivers results without the capital-city price tag , let's have a chat. We'll listen to your goals, answer your questions, and give you a clear plan for building a website that helps your business thrive.

Website Design Costs in NZ (2025): The Complete Guide to DIY vs. Agency Pricing

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:58:19 GMT

How Much Does a Website Cost in NZ? A 2025 Guide for Small Businesses

Key Takeaways

DIY website builders are cheap to start (around $19/month) but can have hidden long-term costs in time, performance, and limited customisation.
Professional agency websites in NZ typically start from $999 for a one-page site and can go up over $2,999 or more for comprehensive or e-commerce platforms.
The average cost for a standard 5-10 page small business website in New Zealand, according to 2025 industry data, ranges from $3,000 to $8,000.
Ongoing costs are crucial to budget for, including annual hosting ($365–549+) and maintenance, which can range from $400 to over $10,000 per year.
Hybrid models, which combine a professional build with an easy-to-use editor, offer a powerful balance of quality, control, and affordability for sustainable growth.

Figuring out how much you should pay for a website in New Zealand can feel like a guessing game. You see ads for free website builders on one hand, and quotes for thousands of dollars on the other. So, what’s the real cost for 2025?

As a team that lives and breathes web design every day, we talk to Kiwi business owners who are stuck on this exact question. They want a professional online presence that gets results, but they need it to be affordable. The good news is, you don’t have to choose between quality and cost.

This guide cuts through the noise. We'll break down the real factors that influence website pricing, compare the DIY route with a professional build, and show you how to get the best value for your money. We believe in empowering you with choices, whether that's using a free-to-try drag-and-drop builder for a quick start or getting our experts to build a high-performing site for you .

What Really Influences Website Costs in 2025?

When a client asks us for a quote, the price isn't pulled out of thin air. It’s based on a few key ingredients. Think of it like building a house. A simple, one-room bach is going to cost a lot less than a multi-storey home with a gourmet kitchen and a swimming pool. The same logic applies to websites.

The main drivers are:

Site Type: A simple one-page "brochure" site is the most affordable. A multi-page informational site for a service business costs more. An e-commerce online store with product catalogues, shopping carts, and payment gateways is the most complex and therefore the most expensive.
Design & Customisation: Are you happy with a basic template, or do you need a unique design that reflects your brand perfectly? Custom graphics, unique layouts, and special features all add to the scope of the project.
Functionality: Do you need a booking system, a members-only area, complex forms, or integration with other software? Each function adds a layer of complexity to the build.

In our experience, a common mistake is underestimating the work needed to make a website truly effective. It's not just about looking good; it's about being found on Google, converting visitors into customers, and being easy to update.

The DIY Route: Empowerment vs. Hidden Costs

Drag-and-drop website builders have made it possible for anyone to get a site online in a weekend. For a hobbyist or a brand-new venture with zero budget, they can be a tempting starting point. The low monthly fee seems like a bargain.

But there's a trade-off. We've seen many business owners come to us after a year of struggling with a DIY site that just wasn't performing. The "hidden costs" aren't on your credit card statement; they're in your time and lost opportunities.

The main challenges we see are:

Time Sink: You have to do everything yourself. Writing content, finding images, learning the platform, and troubleshooting issues. That’s time you could be spending on your actual business.
Poor SEO: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the art and science of getting your site to rank high on Google. DIY platforms often lack the technical flexibility needed for advanced SEO, making it hard for customers to find you.
Generic Design: It's difficult to stand out when your website looks like thousands of others using the same template.

We believe in the power of DIY, which is why our own DIY editor is free to try indefinitely and starts at just $19 per month when you go live. It’s a great option for those who are confident and have the time, but it's important to be realistic about the limitations.

The Professional Agency Build: An Investment in Growth

Hiring a professional designer or agency is less of an expense and more of an investment. You're paying for expertise that generates a return. A professional build isn't just about aesthetics; it’s about strategy. We build websites designed to achieve specific business goals, like generating leads or increasing sales.

A professional ensures your site is:

Built for your customer: We design with the user experience (UX) in mind, making it easy and enjoyable for visitors to find what they need and take action.
Optimised for search: From day one, the site is structured correctly for Google, giving you a huge head start.
Unique and credible: A custom design builds trust and makes your brand memorable.
Scalable: The site is built on a solid foundation, ready to grow as your business grows.

Most importantly, it frees you up to do what you do best: run your business.

DIY vs. Agency: A 2025 Pricing Breakdown

So, let's talk numbers. How do these two approaches stack up in New Zealand?

With a DIY builder , you’re typically looking at a monthly subscription. This can range from our own $19/month starter plan up to $50-100+ per month for platforms with more features.

For a professional agency build , you're usually looking at a one-off project fee. According to one local guide, even a basic informational website can cost between $1,000–3,000 . Another comprehensive price guide suggests that small business websites (8-16 pages) typically cost $2,000–9,000 .

In fact, 2025 industry guides state the average cost for a small business website (5-10 pages) in New Zealand now sits between $3,000 and $8,000 . This covers custom design and basic functionality but often doesn't include e-commerce.

This is where we aim to bridge the gap for Kiwi businesses. We’ve structured our services to provide professional quality without the massive agency price tag. For example, our Comprehensive Professional Website package, which includes unlimited pages and all informational website features, is priced at a flat fee of $2,499 . Our Basic One-Page Professional Website starts at just $999. All our prices include GST and a 20% discount for online enquiries, making professional design genuinely accessible.

What About E-commerce? A Different Ball Game

If you want to sell products online, the complexity jumps significantly. You need product pages, inventory management, secure payment processing, and shipping calculations. Because of this, e-commerce website costs are in a different league.

Multiple 2025 industry sources confirm this. One agency states that e-commerce sites in NZ start around $8,000 and can go up to $50,000+ . Another expert source, Back9, reports a similar range of $8,000–$50,000+ depending on the number of products and required integrations.

For a small business just starting to sell online, those numbers can be daunting. That's why we created a streamlined solution. Our Online Store package is just $2,999 , providing a powerful, professional, and affordable entry into the world of e-commerce.

Don't Forget the Ongoing Costs: What to Budget For

The initial build cost isn't the end of the story. Every website has running costs you need to budget for.

Hosting: This is the fee you pay to keep your website's files on a server so they are accessible on the internet. Our own annual hosting fees are transparent, ranging from $365–549.
Domain Name: Your website's address (e.g., yourbusiness.co.nz). This is usually a small annual fee.
Maintenance: This covers software updates, security checks, and backups. It’s essential for keeping your site secure and running smoothly. According to industry guides, this can range from $400–$1,200 annually for a small site , while other sources note it can climb towards $10,000 a year for very complex platforms . We typically don’t charge a maintenance fee beyond our low hosting fee.

Making the Right Choice for Your Business

Ultimately, the choice between DIY and a professional build comes down to your budget, your timeline, and your goals. A DIY site might get you started, but a professional site is built for growth.

We've built our entire business around the idea that you shouldn't have to compromise. Our unique approach gives you the best of both worlds. We can build a stunning, high-converting website for you, and then hand you the keys. Because our professional sites are built on an easy-to-use platform, you can update text and images yourself without needing to call a developer.

You get the expert strategy and design of an agency build with the control and flexibility of a DIY system. If you want to learn more about this balanced approach, you can read our detailed comparison of DIY vs. professional design here .

Ready to get a clear, no-obligation price for your project? Check out our transparent pricing and get in touch . We'd love to chat about how we can help your business succeed online.

Unlock Your Business Potential: 5 Must-Have Modern Web Design Features!

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 22:46:10 GMT

5 Key Features of Modern Web Design for Your Business

Key Takeaways

Modern web design prioritises mobile users, as most internet traffic now comes from mobile devices.
User experience (UX) is paramount, focusing on intuitive navigation, clear layouts, and accessibility for all users.
Fast page loading times are critical for retaining visitors and improving search engine rankings.
Visually appealing and engaging aesthetics help capture attention and create a memorable online presence.
Successful web design expertly balances search engine optimisation (SEO) with an outstanding user experience.

In today's digital landscape, your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. It's a dynamic tool for communication, sales, and brand building. But what defines a truly effective, modern website? At 543 Design, we understand that modern web design needs to balance aesthetics with functionality, ensuring your site not only attracts visitors but also converts them into loyal customers. We focus on building websites that are affordable, high-performing, and designed with your target audience in mind. Let's explore the five key features that define modern web design.

1. Mobile-First & Responsive Design

The world has gone mobile, and your website needs to keep pace. With 64.17% of worldwide internet traffic now coming from mobile devices , designing for smartphones and tablets is a necessity. Modern web design adopts a "mobile-first" approach, meaning the design process begins with the smallest screen, ensuring a seamless experience before scaling up to larger desktop displays.

Responsive design ensures your website automatically adjusts its layout, images, and content to fit any screen size, from a small phone to a large monitor. This includes thumb-friendly navigation, readable text without zooming, and easily accessible calls-to-action. Google's mobile-first indexing also means that the mobile version of your site is the primary version used for ranking, making responsive design critical for your search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts.

2. User Experience (UX) as a Priority

Beyond looking good, a modern website must be intuitive and easy to use. This focus on User Experience (UX) means designing with your visitors in mind, making their journey on your site as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Key elements of strong UX include:

Clean Layouts: Ample white space and uncluttered designs guide the user's eye and prevent overwhelm.
Clear Navigation: Logical menus and intuitive pathways help users find what they're looking for quickly.
Accessibility: Modern design embraces inclusivity. 97% of the internet is currently inaccessible to people with disabilities . Designing to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards ensures your site is usable by everyone, including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments. Websites that follow WCAG Level AA success criteria are considered reasonably accessible .

A positive user experience encourages visitors to stay longer, explore more, and ultimately convert.

3. Performance and Page Speed

In our fast-paced world, speed is paramount. Modern web design prioritises rapid loading times, as slow websites frustrate users and negatively impact SEO. Consider this: if a mobile site takes over five seconds to load, 90% of users may leave immediately . Even a 1-3 second delay can increase bounce rates by 32% . The average website load time in 2023 was approximately 2.5 seconds on desktop and 8.6 seconds on mobile .

For every additional second of load time between 0-5 seconds, website conversion rates drop by an average of 4.42% . Achieving optimal speed involves optimising images, minifying code, leveraging browser caching, and using efficient hosting. A fast website not only keeps visitors happy but also signals to search engines that your site provides a good user experience, boosting your rankings.

4. Aesthetics and Engagement

While functionality is key, visual appeal remains crucial for capturing attention and conveying your brand's personality. Modern web design uses aesthetics to create an immersive and engaging experience. This includes:

Bold Typography: Expressive fonts can convey mood and highlight important messages.
High-Quality Visuals: Immersive images and videos tell your story more effectively than text alone.
Interactive Elements: Micro-interactions (small animations when a user performs an action) and subtle animations add dynamism and delight.

Trends like Y2K-inspired graphics, vibrant gradients, and unique layouts help your website stand out in a crowded digital space. The goal is to create a visually compelling experience that encourages exploration and leaves a lasting impression.

5. Balancing SEO with User Experience

The ultimate goal of modern web design is to strike a perfect balance between being optimised for search engines and providing an exceptional experience for your users. These two elements are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they often reinforce each other. A website with good UX tends to have better SEO, and vice-versa.

This balance means:

Using keywords naturally within your content, rather than "stuffing" them, to maintain readability. Over-optimising content with keywords can disrupt readability and user engagement .
Creating valuable, informative content that answers user queries and establishes your authority.
Ensuring a clear, logical site structure that is easy for both users and search engine crawlers to navigate.
Prioritising page speed, which benefits both user retention and search engine rankings.
Implementing strategic internal linking that guides users to relevant content and distributes SEO value across your site.

A website that achieves this balance is more likely to rank well in search results, attract more visitors, and convert them into customers. While the average website conversion rate across industries is 2.35% , focusing on these design principles can significantly improve your results.

For more insights into creating an effective online presence, explore our article on the 7 Principles of Good Web Design .

Partner with 543 Design for Your Modern Web Design Needs

At 543 Design, we specialise in crafting modern, high-performing websites that embody these five key features. Whether you need a professional, bespoke design or prefer the flexibility of a DIY solution, we're here to help New Zealand businesses thrive online. Our focus is on delivering affordable, quality web solutions that balance stunning aesthetics with robust functionality, ensuring your website works hard for your business.

Ready to elevate your online presence? Contact us today to discuss your project.

_Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, web design trends and best practices are constantly evolving._

Google's 'Nano Banana': A Sweet Revolution in AI Image Editing for Businesses!

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 01:54:08 GMT

AI Image Editing: Google's "Nano Banana" is a Huge Step Forward

Key Takeaways

Google's Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, codenamed "Nano Banana," is a powerful new AI tool for image editing.
It understands natural language prompts, allowing for precise and context-aware image edits.
Key features include multi-image fusion, consistent character and style, and conversational editing.
"Nano Banana" is set to disrupt the image editing industry, making advanced capabilities accessible without complex software.
Small businesses can use it for product mockups, marketing visuals, and social media content.
You can access “Nano Banana” in a number of places - most easily through Gemini .

We are constantly seeking out the latest advancements in technology to help New Zealand small businesses thrive online. One of the most exciting developments we've seen recently is Google's Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, affectionately known as "Nano Banana." This isn't just another incremental update in the world of image editing; it's a significant leap forward that promises to democratise professional-level visual creation.

The Gemini 2.5 Flash Image Preview is Google's latest, fastest, and most efficient natively multimodal model that lets you generate and edit images conversationally. What does this mean for you? It means you can use simple, natural language prompts to tell the AI exactly what you want, and it will deliver. This powerful tool goes beyond simple filters or effects, offering precise and context-aware edits that were once the domain of highly skilled graphic designers using complex software.

Key Features and Capabilities of "Nano Banana"

Google's "Nano Banana" stands out due to its impressive array of features designed to make image editing more intuitive and powerful. These capabilities are set to transform how we approach visual content creation.

One of the most groundbreaking features is multi-image fusion . This allows the AI to seamlessly blend two or more photos into a single, coherent scene. Imagine effortlessly combining elements from different product shots or merging a person into a new background – all with a few simple commands. This capability opens up a world of possibilities for creating dynamic and engaging visuals without the need for intricate manual editing.

Another significant advancement is character and style consistency. For businesses that need to maintain a consistent brand image or feature the same subject across multiple marketing materials, this feature is invaluable. "Nano Banana" can ensure that a subject's appearance, style, or even lighting remains consistent across various edits, saving countless hours of manual adjustment.

Finally, conversational editing truly sets this tool apart. Instead of navigating complex menus or learning intricate software commands, you can refine images through a series of natural language prompts. This iterative process allows you to have a dialogue with the AI, guiding it towards your desired outcome with remarkable precision. This intuitive approach makes sophisticated editing accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical expertise.

Disruption of the Image Editing Industry

The arrival of "Nano Banana" is poised to significantly disrupt the traditional image editing landscape. For years, professional-level image manipulation has been synonymous with powerful, often expensive, and complex software like Adobe Photoshop. While these tools remain essential for highly specialised tasks, "Nano Banana's" ease of use and powerful capabilities could dramatically reduce the reliance on such software for many common tasks.

This shift means that businesses and individuals who previously couldn't afford or master complex editing suites can now achieve professional-quality results. This democratisation of image editing tools will likely lead to an explosion of creativity and more visually rich online content. We believe this aligns perfectly with our mission at 543 Design to provide accessible and effective online solutions for all New Zealanders, from our AI content assistant in our DIY website builder to our professional services. In fact, we’ll be incorporating “Nano-Banana” directly into our bespoke SEO and social media portal for our clients.

Real-World Applications for Small Businesses

For small businesses in New Zealand, "Nano Banana" offers a wealth of practical applications that can significantly enhance their online presence and marketing efforts. We are always looking for ways to help our clients stand out, and this technology offers exciting possibilities.

Product Mockups: Easily create realistic product mockups by placing your items into different environments or on models, perfect for e-commerce sites.
Ad Posters & Banners: Design eye-catching advertisements and social media banners with custom visuals tailored to your campaigns.
Lifestyle Imagery: Generate diverse lifestyle images that resonate with your target audience, showing your products or services in real-world scenarios.
Custom Social Media Visuals: Quickly produce unique and engaging content for platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, keeping your audience captivated.
Website Visuals: Enhance your website with bespoke images that perfectly match your brand aesthetic, improving user engagement and complementing your search engine optimisation efforts.

The ability to rapidly generate high-quality, customised visuals means small businesses can maintain a fresh and engaging online presence without significant investment in time or resources.

Limitations and Ethical Considerations

While "Nano Banana" represents an incredible leap forward, it's important to acknowledge that, like all emerging technologies, it has its current limitations. We've observed occasional glitches, particularly with anatomical accuracy in complex compositions or imperfect rendering of text within images. These are common challenges in the rapidly evolving field of generative AI, and we expect them to improve as the technology matures.

Beyond technical limitations, there are crucial ethical considerations surrounding AI image editing. The ability to generate and manipulate images with such ease raises questions about authenticity and potential misuse. Google is proactively addressing this by incorporating an invisible digital watermark using its SynthID system into every image edited or generated with the model. This watermarking helps to ensure transparency and reduce the risks of deceptive content, aligning with our own commitment to responsible technology use.

We at 543 Design are excited about the potential of "Nano Banana" and other AI advancements to empower our clients. We will continue to monitor these developments and share our insights on our tech blog , ensuring New Zealand businesses can leverage the best tools available for their online success.

543 Web Design Hawke's Bay: Local Expertise, National Reach

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 01:33:50 GMT

Website Design Napier: Grow Your Hawke's Bay Business Online

Key Takeaways

A professional website is essential for Hawke's Bay businesses to tap into New Zealand's booming e-commerce market.
Working with a local Napier web designer offers a personalised service, including the option for face-to-face meetings to truly understand your business.
We offer affordable web design packages, from accessible DIY options to our comprehensive "We Do It For You" professional services.
Our websites are expertly designed to be fast, effective, easy for you to edit, and optimised for search engines like Google.

Here in Hawke’s Bay, we know a whole lot about quality, craft, and community. Whether you’re running a boutique in Napier, a trade service in Hastings, or a cafe in Havelock North, your hard work deserves to be seen. But in today's world, being seen means having a strong online presence. It’s no longer a ‘nice-to-have’; it’s the most powerful tool you have to grow your business.

The opportunity for Kiwi businesses is enormous. The New Zealand e-commerce market is projected to hit around US$5.85 billion in 2025 . Even more impressively, it's expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.23% to reach a massive US$8.34 billion by 2029. CAGR is simply a way of measuring steady growth over time. For your business, this means a growing number of customers are looking to spend their money online, and a professional website is your ticket to reaching them.

Why Your Hawke's Bay Business Needs a Strong Online Presence

Having a professionally designed website is about more than just looking good. It’s about creating a digital storefront that works for you 24/7. It’s your chance to tell your story, showcase your products or services, and build a trusted brand that resonates with customers both here in the Bay and across New Zealand.

A great website builds credibility. It shows you’re a serious, professional operation. It also opens up new markets. Suddenly, you’re not just limited to local foot traffic; you can connect with customers anywhere. This is where a smart digital marketing strategy, including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), becomes crucial. SEO is the practice of fine-tuning your website so that when people search for services or products like yours on Google, your business appears high in the results. It’s how new customers find you online today.

Our Approach to Web Design in Napier & Hawke's Bay

We're a website designer based in Napier, and we believe in a straightforward, personal approach. We’re not just a faceless design company; we're your local partners. We start by getting to know you and your business goals. What makes you unique? Who are your customers? What do you want your website to achieve?

Because we're right here in the region, we have a unique advantage. The biggest benefit of working with a local, Napier-based web designer is the option for face-to-face meetings, providing a personal touch and a deeper understanding of your vision. We can sit down over a coffee and map out a plan that works for you. We specialise in creating a beautiful website that is user-friendly and provides a seamless experience for your visitors, turning them into loyal customers.

What Kind of Website Do You Need?

Every business is different, which is why we don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. We build a range of websites for businesses, tailored to specific needs.

Professional Service Websites: For tradies, consultants, and other service-based businesses, we design clean, professional websites that build trust and make it easy for clients to get in touch.
E-commerce Websites: If you want to sell products, we can build a powerful and secure online store. We design and build e-commerce platforms that make managing your products, inventory, and sales simple.

No matter the site, our core promise remains the same. We are dedicated to creating websites that are fast, easy to edit, effective and affordable . We want to empower you to take control of your online presence without needing a degree in computer science. This commitment to quality and usability is something we deliver to clients across New Zealand, all from our home base here in Hawke's Bay.

How Much Does It Cost to Design a Website in NZ?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the honest answer is: it depends. The cost of a new website can vary widely based on its size, complexity, and specific features like e-commerce functionality or custom integrations. A simple, elegant brochure-style website will cost less than a complex online store with hundreds of products.

We believe in providing cost-effective solutions for every budget. We offer everything from an affordable DIY website builder for those just starting out to our flagship "We Do It For You" professional design service. The best way to understand the investment for your project is to have a chat with us. You can explore our options and Get a Website Quote to receive a detailed proposal tailored to your business goals. We pride ourselves on transparent pricing with no hidden surprises.

Ready to Grow Your Business Online?

Choosing a web designer is a big decision. By partnering with a local Hawke's Bay web design specialist, you’re not just getting a website; you’re getting a partner who understands the local market and is genuinely invested in your success. We’re here to provide ongoing customer support and help you navigate the online world.

If you’re ready to build a professional online presence that attracts more customers and helps you achieve your goals, we’d love to help. Let's talk about how we can get your new website up and running.

Contact our Napier web design team today to get started!

Beyond the Logo: A Strategic Guide to Building an Unforgettable Kiwi Brand

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 01:09:54 GMT

Affordable Logo Design & Branding in NZ: Your Guide to a Memorable Brand

Key Takeaways

A strong brand is more than a logo; it's a complete strategy that defines your mission, values, and connection with your target audience in New Zealand.
A professionally designed logo can shape over 80% of consumer perceptions about your business's quality and trustworthiness.
Consistency across all visual elements - from your logo and colours to your website and social media - is essential for building brand recognition and trust.
Upcoming 2025 design trends for NZ businesses are moving towards minimalism, eco-friendly aesthetics, and authentic cultural integration.

As a New Zealand business owner, you know that standing out is crucial. You've poured your heart into your product or service, but how do you communicate that value to your customers? Many people think the answer starts and ends with a logo. While a great logo is vital, it’s only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Your brand is the entire experience you provide—it's what people feel and say about you when you're not in the room.

Building a memorable brand doesn't have to be complex or expensive. It’s about being strategic. A well-designed logo is a powerful starting point. In fact, research shows a well-designed logo shapes over 80% of consumer perceptions , positioning your brand as a leader in quality and trust. This guide will walk you through how to build a cohesive brand identity that resonates with your audience, establishes trust, and sets your NZ business up for long-term success.

What is a Brand, Really? Moving Beyond the Logo

So, if a brand isn't just a logo, what is it? Think of your brand as your business's personality. It’s your promise to your customer. It’s reflected in your messaging, your customer service, your packaging, and yes, your visual identity. It’s the gut feeling people have about you. Building that feeling requires a deliberate strategy built on a foundation of trust.

In today's market, trust is everything. Data shows that a staggering 81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying from it . That trust isn't built by a fancy logo alone; it's earned through consistency, authenticity, and a clear sense of purpose. A strong brand identity clearly communicates who you are, what you stand for, and why customers should choose you over the competition.

The Foundation: Crafting Your Brand Strategy

Before you even think about colours or fonts, you need a solid brand strategy. This is the blueprint for your brand, outlining the core principles that will guide every decision you make. It's about getting clear on three key things.

1. Define Your Target Audience

Who are you trying to reach? You can't be everything to everyone. Get specific. Are you talking to busy mums in Auckland, adventurous millennials in Christchurch, or established small business owners in Wellington? Understanding their needs, pain points, and values allows you to tailor your brand to speak directly to them. This focus makes your marketing efforts more effective and helps you build a loyal community.

2. Clarify Your Mission and Vision

What is your "why"? Your mission statement is what your business does, who it does it for, and the impact it makes. It’s your purpose. Your vision statement is about the future—what you aspire to become. These statements are more than just corporate fluff; they are your north star, guiding your team and inspiring your customers.

3. Establish Your Core Values

What principles does your business stand for? Are you committed to sustainability, innovation, community, or exceptional customer service? Your values are the personality traits of your brand. They influence your company culture and shape how you interact with the world, making your brand more human and relatable.

Bringing Your Brand to Life: Your Visual Identity

Once your strategy is in place, it's time for the fun part: creating the visual elements that will represent your brand. This is where your logo, colours, and typography come together to create a cohesive and recognisable brand identity.

The Power of a Professional Logo Design

Your logo is your brand’s signature. It's often the first interaction a customer has with your business, so it needs to make a great impression. A professional logo should be simple, memorable, and versatile enough to work across all your marketing materials, from a business card to a website banner. But its most important job is to build familiarity. Did you know it will take a customer 5 to 7 times of seeing a logo on average before they remember the brand ? This is why a unique, professional logo is an investment, not an expense.

We understand that getting the logo right is non-negotiable. That's why our collaborative design process is built around ensuring you are completely happy with the final result. We offer unlimited revisions as part of our commitment to your satisfaction. If you're looking for a partner to help you create the perfect logo for your business, explore our professional logo design services .

Choosing Your Colours and Typography

Colour psychology is a powerful tool in branding. Different colours evoke different emotions—blue often suggests trust and dependability, while green can signify health and nature. The colours you choose for your brand will instantly communicate a feeling to your audience.

Similarly, typography (the fonts you use) sets the tone. A modern, sans-serif font might feel sleek and tech-focused, while a classic serif font can convey tradition and elegance. The key is to select a primary and secondary font and use them consistently across all your communications to create a unified look.

Staying Relevant: 2025 Design Trends for Kiwi Businesses

A great brand not only reflects who you are now but also looks to the future. Staying aware of design trends ensures your brand remains modern and relevant. For 2025, the focus in New Zealand is shifting towards authenticity and connection.

Kiwi consumers are increasingly driven by local pride and ethical considerations. Research specific to our market shows that 86% of New Zealanders prefer to support local products, and 58% consider sustainability a key factor in their choices . This consumer sentiment is shaping brand designs in three key ways:

Minimalism and Simplicity: Clean lines, uncluttered layouts, and a "less is more" approach communicate clarity and confidence.
Eco-Conscious Aesthetics: Earthy colour palettes, natural textures, and sustainable messaging resonate deeply with the values of many New Zealanders.
Authentic Cultural Integration: Meaningful and respectful use of cultural motifs, like the koru, can create a powerful connection to Aotearoa, but it must be done with integrity and understanding.

Ensuring Consistency Across All Platforms

Your brand strategy and visual identity are only effective if they are applied consistently everywhere your customers interact with you. This means your website, social media profiles, email newsletters, packaging, and physical signage should all look and feel like they come from the same brand. This consistency builds recognition and reinforces the trust you've worked so hard to establish.

Your website is often the centrepiece of your brand's online presence. It needs to not only look the part but also provide a seamless user experience. As a New Zealand agency, we specialise in creating websites that are not just visually aligned with your brand but are also built to perform online . A cohesive brand experience is critical, and that extends to your digital front door. To see how we can help, check out our professional website design services.

Affordable Branding Solutions for Your NZ Business

We believe that every Kiwi business deserves a strong, professional brand, regardless of its size or budget. That’s why we’ve created straightforward, affordable logo design and branding packages to give you a strategic advantage without the hefty price tag of a large design agency. Our goal is to make high-quality brand designs accessible.

Here’s a look at our transparent pricing:

Logo Design: $435 + GST . This includes six initial concepts, unlimited revisions to ensure you love the result, and all the final files you need for digital and print use.
Branding Package: $695 + GST . This includes everything in the Logo Design package, plus a comprehensive brand guidelines document for your font and colours, and a social media set of logos and graphics for a consistent online presence.
Business Starter Pack: $956 + GST . Our most complete package includes the full logo design process with unlimited revisions, branding guidelines, and essential stationery designs like business cards to get you started.

Building a brand is one of the most important investments you can make in your business. It's the foundation upon which your reputation, growth, and customer loyalty are built. By taking a strategic approach—defining your purpose, understanding your audience, and creating a cohesive visual identity—you can create a brand that not only looks great but also truly connects with people.

If you're ready to breathe new life into your brand or create one from scratch, we're here to help. For more insights into improving your online presence, from SEO to social media, feel free to explore our tech blog for more tips and tricks.

The Anatomy of a High-Performing Website: A 2025 Blueprint for NZ Businesses

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:40:06 GMT

Website Design NZ: Your Ultimate Guide to a High-Performing Site in 2025

Key Takeaways

A high-performing website in 2025 needs more than good looks; it requires strong technical SEO, fast loading speeds known as Core Web Vitals, and a mobile-first design approach.
With digital ad spending in New Zealand projected to hit US$2.78 billion, a well-optimised website is crucial for capturing organic traffic and standing out from the competition.
Web accessibility is now a fundamental requirement, ensuring your site is usable and inclusive for all New Zealanders, regardless of their abilities.
Professional website design is more affordable than you might think, with options like a comprehensive one-page website starting at $999 or flexible pay-as-you-go plans.

As a New Zealand business owner, you know your website is your digital storefront. But is it just a pretty brochure, or is it a hardworking employee that brings in leads, drives sales, and grows your business? In 2025, the difference between the two is more critical than ever. The online space is getting crowded, with ad spending in New Zealand’s advertising market forecasted to reach a staggering US$2.78bn in 2025 . In this competitive landscape, a simple, set-and-forget website just won't cut it.

You need a high-performing digital asset built on a solid technical and strategic foundation. This guide will walk you through the essential elements your website needs to succeed, moving beyond aesthetics to focus on what truly delivers results for your NZ business.

Beyond Aesthetics: The Technical Foundations of a Great Website

A beautiful website that doesn't work properly is like a sports car with no engine. To truly perform, your website needs a powerful technical engine running under the hood. This is where many DIY website builder platforms fall short. Here are the core components we prioritise in our website design and development process.

Speed Matters: Understanding Core Web Vitals

Have you ever clicked away from a page because it took too long to load? Your customers do, too. Google knows this, which is why it uses a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals (CWV) to measure a page's real-world user experience. In simple terms, CWV looks at three things:

Loading Speed (Largest Contentful Paint - LCP): How quickly the main content on your page appears.
Interactivity (First Input Delay - FID): How fast your page responds when a user first tries to interact with it (e.g., clicks a button).
Visual Stability (Cumulative Layout Shift - CLS): Whether elements on your page jump around unexpectedly as it loads.

A good score in these areas means a better experience for your visitors and a potential boost in search engine rankings. We build our sites on professional, high-performance Content Management Systems (CMS) like Duda, which are specifically engineered to create a fast, stable, and responsive website design that Google and your customers will love.

Mobile-First Isn't a Trend, It's the Standard

More people will access your website on their phone than on a desktop. A mobile-first design approach means we design the mobile version of your site first, then adapt it for larger screens. This is different from "mobile-responsive," which often involves squishing a desktop design onto a smaller screen as an afterthought. A mobile-first strategy ensures your site is fast, easy to navigate, and provides a seamless user experience for the majority of your target audience, no matter how they find you.

The Backbone: Reliable Web Hosting

Your website's hosting is its home on the internet. Poor hosting can lead to slow load times, security vulnerabilities, and frustrating downtime. We ensure every website we build is supported by reliable, secure hosting, so you never have to worry about your digital storefront being closed for business.

Putting Your Customer First: UX and Accessibility

A technically sound website is the starting point. To turn visitors into customers, you need to create an online experience that is intuitive, helpful, and welcoming to everyone.

Creating an Intuitive User Experience (UX)

User Experience (UX) is all about how a person feels when they interact with your website. Is it easy to find your contact information? Is the navigation logical? Can customers quickly understand what you do and how you can help them? Good UX design guides visitors effortlessly towards their goals, whether that's making a purchase, filling out a form, or learning more about your services. This keeps them on your site longer and dramatically increases the chances of leads and conversions.

Web Accessibility: Designing for Everyone

A truly professional website is one that everyone can use. Web accessibility means designing and building your site so that people with disabilities can navigate and interact with it effectively. As our friends at Web8 point out, "Web accessibility is no longer optional. Designers are prioritising inclusivity, ensuring websites work for everyone, regardless of ability." This isn't just about compliance; it's about expanding your audience and showing that your business values every potential customer in New Zealand.

Getting Found: On-Page SEO Essentials for NZ Businesses

You can have the best website in the world, but it won't help your business grow if no one can find it. This is where On-Page Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in. SEO is the practice of optimising your website's content and structure to help it rank higher on search engines like Google for relevant search terms.

Key elements of on-page SEO include using the right keywords, writing compelling meta titles and descriptions (the little snippets you see in search results), and creating high-quality, helpful content. In a digital marketing landscape where ad costs are rising, a strong SEO strategy is your most powerful tool for attracting a steady stream of organic (free) traffic. We build SEO best practices into the very fabric of every business website we create, giving you a head start in climbing the search rankings.

How Much Does a Professional Website Cost in NZ?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer is: it depends on your business needs. However, getting a professional, high-performing website design in New Zealand doesn't have to break the bank. We believe in providing clear, upfront pricing so you know exactly what you're getting.

Our Affordable Website Design Packages

We offer a range of packages designed to suit different business goals and budgets. Our transparent and affordable pricing ensures you can find a solution that works for you. For startups or small businesses needing a strong online launchpad, our Basic One Page Website is just $999 + GST (with a $365 per year hosting fee). For those needing more, we have other great options:

Standard Website: $1,999 + GST (Hosting fee: $365 per year)
Comprehensive Website: $2,499 + GST (Hosting fee: $365 per year)
Online Store / Ecommerce Website: $2,999 + GST (Hosting fee: $549 per year)

You can explore all the details on our pricing page .

Flexible Payment Options: Pay As You Go

We understand that upfront business expenses can be a hurdle. That’s why we also offer a flexible Pay As You Go option, starting from just $124.99 per month. This allows you to get a brand new, professional website with no large upfront fee, making it easier to manage your cash flow while still investing in your online presence.

Choosing the Right Partner for Your Website Design

Building a website that will serve your business well into the future requires more than just technical skill; it requires a partner who takes the time to understand your unique business goals. Our design process is built around collaboration. We work with you to create a custom web design that not only looks great but also functions as a powerful tool to help you grow your business.

For business owners wanting to dive deeper into what makes a website truly successful, our tech blog offers a wealth of valuable information. We recommend starting with our article on the 7 Core Principles for Success in web design.

Your website is your single most important marketing asset. In 2025, investing in a professional, fast, accessible, and well-optimised online presence isn't an expense—it's a direct investment in the future success of your business. Ready to build a website that delivers real results for your NZ business? Book a chat with Jamie or get your FREE, no-obligation quote today!

Invisible on Google? The Beginner's SEO Guide to Getting Found Online!

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 20:34:05 GMT

Why Can't I Find My Site on Google? A Beginner's Guide to SEO

Key Takeaways

You’ve launched your new website. You’re proud of how it looks, and you’re ready for the customers to start rolling in. But when you type your business name into Google, you find… nothing. It’s a frustrating and common problem, leaving many business owners asking, "Why can't I find my site on Google?"

The good news is that there are usually simple explanations. The solution lies in understanding the basics of Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO. Don't let the term intimidate you. SEO is simply the process of making your website more attractive to search engines like Google, so they show it to people looking for your products or services.

Let's break down what you need to know to get your site visible.

First Things First: What is SEO?

Think of Google as a massive library and your website as a new book. SEO is how you tell the librarian (Google) what your book is about, who it’s for, and why it’s a valuable resource. When someone searches for a topic your book covers, the librarian knows to recommend it. We can break SEO down into three main areas.

Technical SEO: The Foundation

This is all about the "behind the scenes" stuff that helps Google find and understand your site. It includes having a fast-loading website, a logical site structure, and ensuring it works perfectly on mobile devices. In fact, Google primarily indexes the mobile version of a site , a practice known as mobile-first indexing. A solid technical foundation is non-negotiable.

On-Page SEO: Your Content

This refers to everything on your actual web pages - the text, the images, the headlines. It’s about creating high-quality, relevant content that answers your customers' questions and uses the keywords they are searching for. It’s your chance to show Google you’re an expert in your field.

Off-Page SEO: Your Reputation

This involves actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings. The most significant factor here is backlinks. Backlinks from reputable and relevant websites signal to search engines that your website is credible and trustworthy, which can boost your ranking. The flipside of that is backlinks from untrustworthy on unrelated sites tend to negatively impact your rating, so we believe you should take a cautious approach when it comes to getting backlinks.

Solving the Mystery: Common Reasons Your Site Isn't on Google

Knowing what SEO is, let's tackle the big question - why isn’t your site showing in search results? If your site is nowhere to be found, it's likely due to one of these common reasons.

1. Your Website is Brand New

Patience is key. When you launch a new site, it can take Google anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to find, "crawl" (read), and index (store) your pages. If your site is only a day or two old, a little more waiting time might be all you need.

2. You're Accidentally Blocking Google

Sometimes, a single line of code is the culprit. A `noindex` meta tag is an HTML code snippet that instructs search engines not to include a specific page in their index . This is useful for private pages, but if it's accidentally placed on your homepage, it makes your entire site invisible. Another file, `robots.txt`, can also be set up to block search engines. These are technical issues that often require a quick check by a web developer.

3. Google Hasn't Indexed Your Site Yet

You don't have to wait for Google to stumble upon your site. You can be proactive by using a free tool called Google Search Console . By setting up an account and submitting a "sitemap" (a list of all your site's pages), you are essentially handing Google a map to your website and asking it to index you.

Your Practical SEO Checklist for Getting Found

Feeling overwhelmed? Don't be. Here is a simple, practical checklist to get you started on the right foot.

Step 1: Set Up Google Search Console

This is your direct line of communication with Google. It's a free tool that allows you to monitor your site's performance, submit your sitemap, and see if Google is running into any errors when trying to access your pages. This should be your very first step.

Step 2: Basic Keyword Research

Think like your customer. What words and phrases would they type into Google to find a business like yours? Are they searching for "lawyer in Auckland" or "best coffee shop Wellington"? Make a list of these terms. These are your keywords, and you should aim to include them naturally in your website's content and headings.

Step 3: Optimise Your Pages (On-Page SEO)

Don't Forget Local SEO: A Must for Kiwi Businesses

If you're a New Zealand business that serves a specific local area, Local SEO is your best friend. This is all about making sure you appear for searches like "near me" or "in ‘your city’".

Claim Your Google Business Profile

This is the single most important thing you can do for your local visibility. A Google Business Profile is the information box that appears on the right-hand side of Google Search and in Google Maps. It’s free to set up and allows you to display your hours, address, phone number, and photos, and gather customer reviews.

Encourage Customer Reviews

Positive reviews on your Google Business Profile build trust and social proof, encouraging more local customers to choose you over a competitor.

SEO is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

It's important to set realistic expectations. SEO takes time and consistent effort. You won't see results overnight. It's very different from running paid ads, which can get you to the top of Google instantly (for a price). If you need immediate traffic, you might want to learn about the basics of Google Ads as a complementary strategy.

For long-term, sustainable traffic, however, organic SEO is invaluable. While you can do much of it yourself, many businesses choose to partner with professionals to get the best results. On average, small businesses allocate between $500 and $5,000 monthly for SEO services , depending on the scope and competition.

If you need help getting your website seen on Google, our team is here to help. We offer affordable NZ SEO services designed specifically for small businesses. From plans where we manage your SEO, to our new DIY SEO tool that gives you recommendations for as little as $29 per month, we try to give our clients the most affordable entry into search engine optimisation possible. By following these steps, you'll be well on your way from being invisible to being found. For more tips and tricks, feel free to explore our online blog !

The Kiwi's Guide to DIY Websites: Build, Launch, and Grow Online

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 03:40:04 GMT

How to Build a Website in NZ: The Ultimate DIY Guide for Kiwis

Key Takeaways

For many Kiwi small business owners, freelancers, and creatives, the thought of building a website can feel a bit daunting. Where do you even begin? The good news is that creating a professional, effective online presence is more accessible and affordable than ever before. You don't need to be a coding whiz or have a massive budget to get online and start connecting with customers.

The digital landscape in New Zealand is booming. In fact, the local web hosting market is growing so rapidly that it's projected to become a significant industry. According to recent data, New Zealand is expected to witness a significant rise in revenue within the Web Hosting market, reaching a projected amount of US$189.68m by 2025 . This highlights just how vital an online presence has become for businesses of all sizes across Aotearoa.

This guide is here to walk you through everything you need to know about building your own website using a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) website builder. We'll show you how our platform at 543 makes it simple, and we'll share essential tips to ensure your new site is a success.

Why Choose a DIY Website Builder?

A DIY website builder is an online platform that allows you to create, design, and manage your own website without needing to write a single line of code. Think of it as a set of digital building blocks. You get all the pieces you need—templates, text boxes, image galleries, and more—and you simply arrange them to create your finished site. For many Kiwis, this approach offers the perfect balance of control, affordability, and professional results.

DIY vs. Professional Web Design: Which is Right for You?

Making the choice between a DIY platform and hiring a professional web designer often comes down to three things: budget, time, and your specific needs. Let's break it down.

A DIY website builder is likely your best bet if:

Hiring a professional web designer might be a better fit if:

For the vast majority of small businesses, startups, and individuals, a modern DIY builder provides all the power and flexibility needed to create a stunning and effective website.

How to Build Your Website with 543: A Step-by-Step Guide

We've designed our platform to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible. Here’s a simple breakdown of how you can bring your website to life with 543.

Step 1: Choose Your Template

The foundation of any great website is a solid design. We offer a wide range of professionally designed templates built for various industries. Whether you're a builder, a cafe owner, a consultant, or an artist, you'll find a starting point that fits your style. Every template is fully responsive, meaning it will automatically look great on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Step 2: Customise Your Design with the Drag-and-Drop Editor

This is where the magic happens. Our drag-and-drop editor lets you move elements around the page, change colours, update fonts, and upload your own logo and images with a few clicks. You can see your changes in real-time, so you always know exactly what your visitors will see. It’s a completely visual process—no technical skills required.

Step 3: Create Compelling Content (with a little help from AI)

Writing the text for your website can sometimes be the trickiest part. What should you say on your homepage? How do you describe your services? We’ve built a tool to help with that. Our AI Content Assistant is a powerful feature that helps you overcome writer's block. It can help you generate titles, paragraph text, SEO titles and descriptions, and even alt tags for your images, saving you hours of time and effort.

Step 4: Add Your Essential Pages

Most great websites have a few core pages. We recommend starting with these four:

Step 5: Review and Go Live!

Once you're happy with your design and content, give everything a final check. Read through your text, test your contact form, and make sure your images look sharp. The best part? With our platform, the entire building process is free. You can experiment and perfect your site without any pressure. You only start paying the monthly hosting fee when you are ready to make your site live. Start building your site for free today!

Essential Tips for a Successful Website

Building the site is just the first step. To make sure it works hard for your business, keep these key principles in mind.

Embrace Modern Design Principles

In 2025, website design is all about clean, minimalist layouts and clear functionality. Less is often more. Beyond aesthetics, it's crucial to ensure your website is accessible to everyone. As one local design expert notes, "Web accessibility is no longer optional. Designers are prioritising inclusivity, ensuring websites work for everyone, regardless of ability." This means using clear, readable fonts, providing alternative text for images (which our AI assistant can help with!), and ensuring your site is easy to navigate.

Nail Your On-Page SEO

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation , is the practice of helping your website show up on search engines like Google when people search for what you offer. You can start with the basics right inside our builder. Use relevant keywords in your page titles and descriptions, and make sure your content genuinely answers the questions your potential customers are asking. This helps Google understand what your site is about and show it to the right people.

Write for Your Audience

Always remember who you're talking to. Use a friendly, natural tone of voice. Instead of just listing features, focus on the benefits. How does your product or service make your customer's life better or easier? When you focus on being helpful, you build trust and turn visitors into loyal customers.

Affordable Pricing for Every Kiwi Business

We believe that every business in New Zealand deserves a powerful online presence, regardless of its size or budget. That's why we've created clear, affordable pricing plans to support you as you grow. Our DIY plans are designed to be accessible, with options starting from just $19 per month .

Here’s a quick look at our popular DIY plans:

Ready to Build Your Online Presence?

Getting your business online doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. With the right tools and a little guidance, you have the power to create a beautiful, functional website that helps you grow.

Our mission is to empower Kiwis just like you with an easy-to-use platform, backed by a friendly, local support team if you ever need a hand. Why wait? Start building your professional website for free and see how simple it can be to get your Kiwi business online.

From Clicks to Conversions: Building an E-commerce Powerhouse in New Zealand

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 23:10:49 GMT

Your Ultimate Guide to Ecommerce Website Design in NZ

Key Takeaways

Thinking about taking your business online or giving your existing online store a serious upgrade? You're in the right place at the right time. The world of e-commerce in New Zealand is not just growing; it's exploding. In fact, the New Zealand e-commerce market is expected to reach USD 3.25 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 9.39% to reach USD 5.09 billion by 2030. That’s a huge number of Kiwis looking to buy products and services online.

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But how do you capture a piece of that pie? It all starts with building an ecommerce website that doesn't just look good, but works brilliantly. This guide will walk you through the essential steps, from the foundations of your ecommerce site to the finer points of web design that help turn browsers into buyers.

Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your NZ Business

Your e-commerce platform is the engine of your online store. It’s the software that handles everything from your product pages and shopping cart to your checkout and payment processing. You've probably heard of big names like Shopify or WooCommerce, and while they are powerful, they aren't always the perfect fit for every small business.

The key is finding a balance. You need a system that's powerful enough to handle your sales but flexible enough to let your brand shine. We've found that for most small to medium NZ businesses, the best platform offers incredible design flexibility without being constrained by typical e-commerce theme limitations . This allows for a truly unique ecommerce website design that reflects your brand, rather than forcing you into a pre-made template that looks like everyone else's.

Can I Build an Ecommerce Website On My Own?

Yes, you absolutely can. With the rise of drag-and-drop site builder tools, creating your own store from scratch seems more accessible than ever. However, it’s important to understand the full picture. While many platforms advertise a low monthly fee, the total cost of an e-commerce website involves more than just a subscription.

As a guide from Shopify highlights, typical costs can include domain registration ($10–$30 annually), web hosting ($5–$250 monthly), and SSL certificates to keep your site secure ($0–$200 annually). While some of these are bundled, the time and technical knowledge required to integrate payment methods, optimise for search engines, and ensure a seamless shopping experience can quickly become a full-time job. A DIY approach can be a great starting point, but a professional ecommerce solution is often the fastest path to profitability.

The Core Principles of Great Ecommerce Web Design

A great ecommerce website is more than just a catalogue of products. It’s an experience. Getting the design right is crucial for building trust and guiding customers smoothly from discovery to checkout.

1. Mobile-First is Non-Negotiable

This is the golden rule of modern web design. Why? Because a staggering "80% of online shoppers now use mobile devices to browse and make purchases." If your website is difficult to use on a phone, you're potentially alienating the vast majority of your customers. A mobile-first approach means designing for the smallest screen first, ensuring the core user experience is perfect on a phone before adapting it for tablets and desktops. This guarantees your site is fast, easy to navigate, and works flawlessly on different device sizes.

2. Build Trust and Credibility

People buy from businesses they trust. Your website design is your primary tool for building that trust and credibility. Here’s how:

3. Streamline the Customer Journey

Have you ever abandoned a shopping cart because the checkout process was too complicated? You're not alone. A confusing customer journey is a direct cause of lost sales. The goal is to make buying from you as easy as possible. This involves intuitive navigation, clear calls-to-action, a simple product page layout, and a streamlined checkout process with minimal steps. Every click you can remove is a step closer to making a sale.

NZ-Specific Considerations for Your Online Store

Get a Professional Ecommerce Website Without the Hefty Price Tag

Building a powerful, high-converting, and beautiful online store is a complex task. It requires a blend of design skill, technical knowledge, and marketing strategy. While DIY is an option, it often leads to frustration and a site that doesn't perform.

That's where we come in. We specialise in creating affordable, professional e-commerce websites that are designed to help your business grow. We handle all the technical details so you can focus on what you do best: running your business. Our complete e-commerce solution includes mobile store management, multiple payment gateway options, and is built to be search engine friendly from the start , giving you a powerful platform to sell online.

We believe professional web design should be accessible. Our "Online Store" design package is just $2,999 + GST . And for a limited time, you can get a 20% discount for online enquiries, bringing the cost down to only $2,608 + GST . The powerful e-commerce hosting is a simple annual fee of $549.

Ready to start selling and claim your share of New Zealand's booming e-commerce market? Let's build an online store that delivers results. Get in touch with us today!

Web Design Auckland: Your Guide to Online Success

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 04:10:40 GMT

Auckland Web Design: Your 2025 Guide to Grow Your Business

Key Takeaways

For any Auckland business aiming to thrive in 2025, a powerful online presence isn't just an advantage; it's a fundamental requirement. Your website is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your brand. It’s your digital storefront, your 24/7 salesperson, and the core of your digital marketing efforts. But what makes a website truly effective in today's competitive market?

The game has changed. It's no longer enough to just 'have a website'. The data is clear: over 70% of website traffic in New Zealand is now from mobile devices . This single statistic changes everything. It means your website must deliver a flawless experience on a small screen. This guide will walk you through the critical elements of successful website design for the Auckland market, from the latest trends to the technical details that help you get found by local customers.

Why a Mobile-First Approach is Non-Negotiable in 2025

What does "mobile-first" actually mean? It’s a design strategy where we begin the website design process with the mobile version and then adapt it for larger screens like desktops, rather than the other way around. For years, designers built large, complex desktop sites and then tried to shrink them down. Today, that approach is a recipe for failure.

The need for this shift is backed by overwhelming evidence. Locally, the trend is undeniable. One report notes, "Over 70% of Christchurch website traffic is now from mobile devices, so all web pages need to be designed and developed for varied screen sizes." While this data is from Christchurch, the pattern is consistent across all of New Zealand. Globally, the numbers are even more stark, with mobile phones accounting for nearly two-thirds of all web traffic . If your site isn’t built for a responsive, mobile-friendly experience, you’re already falling behind and missing out on the majority of your potential audience.

Emerging Web Design Trends for Auckland Businesses

A great website needs to be more than just functional; it needs to engage and resonate with your audience. Here are some of the key design and development trends shaping the web in 2025.

Minimalism and Bold Typography

Less is more. Clean layouts, generous white space, and a focus on essential content make your website easier to navigate and your message clearer. This minimalist approach, paired with bold, expressive typography, helps create a strong brand identity and guides the user's eye to the most important information. It’s about making a strong impression without overwhelming the visitor.

Authentic Aotearoa: Integrating Māori & Pasifika Design

For businesses in Auckland, incorporating design elements that reflect the unique cultural fabric of Aotearoa can create a powerful connection with the local community. This goes beyond tokenism; it's about respectfully weaving Māori and Pasifika patterns, colour palettes, and concepts into your brand's visual language to create an authentic and inclusive online presence.

Motion UI and Micro-interactions

Static websites are becoming a thing of the past. Modern web design uses subtle animations and feedback to create a more dynamic and enjoyable experience. As one design agency highlights, "User engagement is being driven by subtle animations and micro-interactions that enhance navigation and usability." Think of a button that changes colour when you hover over it or a form field that gives you a gentle visual cue when you enter information correctly. These small details make a big difference in how a website feels.

Accessibility and Inclusive Design

An accessible website is one that can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. This means following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure your site is navigable with screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and other assistive technologies. Not only is this the right thing to do, but it also expands your potential customer base and can improve your search engine optimisation.

Getting Found: Local SEO for Auckland Companies

Having a beautiful website is pointless if no one can find it. This is where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in. For most Auckland businesses, local SEO is the key. It's the practice of optimising your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches on search engines like Google.

This involves strategies like claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile, ensuring your name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web, and targeting local keywords (e.g., "plumber in Mount Eden" or "cafe near Viaduct Harbour"). A well-structured, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly website provides the perfect foundation for a successful local SEO strategy, helping you connect with the customers right in your neighbourhood.

Choosing Your Path: DIY vs. a Professional Web Design Agency

When it comes to your website build, you have two main options: doing it yourself or hiring professionals. The right choice depends on your budget, timeline, and technical confidence.

A DIY website builder can be a great starting point for a small business or sole trader on a tight budget. It offers control and affordability. For those looking to get started quickly, we offer an easy-to-use option that is backed by a professional Kiwi web design agency, giving you a solid platform to build on. You can get started with our free DIY website builder and see how simple it can be.

On the other hand, partnering with a professional agency offers deep expertise. A dedicated team of web designers and developers can create a custom website tailored to your specific business goals, handle all the technical complexities, and ensure your site is built for performance and growth. As a professional Auckland-based web design agency , we specialise in understanding the local market and creating websites that deliver results for your business.

How Much Does Web Design Cost in Auckland?

The cost of web design in Auckland varies widely based on the complexity and scope of the project. For a professional custom website design, you can expect a significant range. According to one local publication, the cost of hiring a website design agency in Auckland can range from $700 to $5,900 or more .

At 543 Website Design, we believe in providing clear and affordable options. Our DIY website builder starts from just $19 per month. For those needing a professional touch, we offer bespoke quotes for our web design services, ensuring you get a solution that fits your specific needs and budget.

Ready to Elevate Your Auckland Business Online?

Your website is one of the most important investments you can make to grow your business. In the bustling Auckland market, a strategic, well-designed, and responsive website is your key to standing out, connecting with customers, and driving growth.

Whether you're looking for an affordable DIY solution or a custom website design and development project, we're here to help you succeed online. We take the time to understand your business goals and deliver creative solutions that work. Feel free to explore our affordable pricing options or get in touch with our design team today to discuss how we can help your business thrive.

Master Web Design: 7 Core Principles for Success

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 10:05:17 GMT

Creating a Friendly Website: Core Principles for Success

In today's digital world, your website isn't just an online brochure; it's the virtual storefront for your New Zealand business. Whether you're a small business owner looking to design a website yourself or considering a professional web design service, understanding the core principles of effective website design is crucial. A great website isn't just about looking good; it's about being functional, intuitive, and truly engaging for your visitors.

At 543 Design, we know that a website's true power lies in its foundation. This guide reveals the core principles we apply to ensure your site is not just beautiful, but highly functional, intuitive, and engaging for your visitors. We believe in designing for your success from the ground up. Let's dive into the essential principles that make for an awesome website and build a strong online presence for your business.

What is a Web Designer and What Exactly Do They Do?

A web designer is a professional who plans, designs, and builds websites. They are focused on the visual appeal and user experience (UX) of a site. This often involves choosing colours, fonts (typography), imagery, and overall layout that resonate with your target audience and reflect your brand.

While a web designer focuses on the aesthetic and user-facing aspects, they often work hand-in-hand with web developers who handle the coding and technical implementation. A skilled web designer ensures your professional website is not only eye-catching but also user-friendly and functional, leading to a seamless user experience for everyone visiting your site.

How Do I Start Web Designing?

Starting your journey in web design can seem daunting, but it's more accessible than ever. For small businesses and individuals in NZ, there are generally two paths: learning to design a website yourself or working with a professional web design company. If you're keen on the DIY approach, platforms offering user-friendly templates and drag-and-drop interfaces have made it much simpler to create a website. These tools often have built-in features that handle some of the coding complexities, allowing you to focus on the visual design.

Many resources exist online for learning the basics of web design, from understanding layout principles to basic search engine optimisation (SEO) . However, for a truly bespoke website that stands out and performs optimally, especially for New Zealand businesses, engaging a professional web design service like 543 Design can make a significant difference. They bring expertise in both design and development, ensuring your website needs are met with a high-quality solution.

Is Web Design a Coding Process?

The answer to whether web design is coding is both yes and no. Modern web design involves a blend of creative visual design and technical implementation. While a web designer primarily focuses on the visual and user experience aspects, understanding the fundamentals of coding (like HTML, CSS, and sometimes JavaScript) is incredibly beneficial. This knowledge helps designers create realistic and functional designs that web developers can easily build.

For those opting for DIY website builder tools, much of the underlying coding is handled for you through templates and intuitive interfaces. This allows you to focus on content management and page design without delving deep into the code. However, a professional web design company or web development team will utilise coding extensively to create custom website solutions and ensure best-in-class performance and functionality for your online experiences.

The 7 Core Principles of Effective Web Design

A truly effective website, whether it’s a simple site or a complex online store, adheres to fundamental design principles. These principles ensure your site is not just aesthetically pleasing, but also performs well, attracts visitors, and converts them into customers. Here are the seven core principles we believe in at 543 Design:

1. Purpose & Goal Alignment: Design with Intent

Every great website starts with a clear purpose. Before a single design element is chosen, you need to ask: What do I want my website to achieve? Is it to generate leads, sell products, provide information, or build a community? Your website design must directly support these goals. For instance, an e-commerce site will prioritize product visibility and a smooth checkout process, while a service-based business will focus on clear calls to action for inquiries.

Understanding your primary objective allows for strategic decision-making throughout the design process, ensuring every feature and layout choice moves users closer to your desired outcome. This principle is fundamental for any new website aiming for online success.

2. User Experience (UX) & Simplicity: Easy Does It

A positive user experience is paramount. Your website should be intuitive and easy for visitors to navigate, regardless of their technical skill. This means embracing simplicity in design: a clean, uncluttered layout with ample white space. Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information or too many choices.

Simplified navigation, clear headings, and digestible content chunks ensure visitors can quickly find what they're looking for, reducing frustration and keeping them engaged. Simplicity and clarity are key to streamlined design, leading to a seamless user experience. A user-friendly website encourages exploration and repeat visits.

3. Content & Visual Hierarchy: Guiding the Eye

High-quality, relevant content is the heart of your website, but its presentation is just as important. Visual hierarchy is about arranging design elements to guide the user's eye to the most critical information first. This can be achieved through strategic use of size, colour, contrast, and placement of elements like headlines, images, and calls to action.

Strong headlines, concise paragraphs, and compelling visuals enhance understanding and engagement. Think about how a newspaper highlights its main stories. Your website's homepage design should do the same, drawing attention to your key offerings and unique selling propositions. Integrating different design elements harmoniously ensures your message is received loud and clear.

4. Responsive Design: Adaptability Across Devices

With more people browsing on smartphones and tablets, responsive website design is no longer an option – it's a necessity. Your website must adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes and devices, providing an optimal viewing and interaction experience for everyone. This involves flexible layouts and scalable images.

A truly responsive website ensures that content remains readable, navigation remains accessible, and functionality works perfectly, whether viewed on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. This focus on mobile-first design is critical for reaching all potential customers and maintaining a strong online presence in New Zealand and beyond.

5. SEO Fundamentals: Getting Found Online

Even the most beautiful website is useless if no one can find it. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is about making your website visible to search engines like Google. This involves optimising your content with relevant keywords, ensuring your site loads quickly, and having a logical structure that search engines can easily understand.

Good web design and SEO go hand-in-hand. A well-structured site with clear content, fast loading times, and mobile responsiveness naturally performs better in search engine rankings. At 543 Design, we focus on design and development practices that inherently support your SEO efforts, helping New Zealand businesses get found by their target audience.

6. Accessibility: Websites for Everyone

An accessible website is one that can be used by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. This includes considerations for users who may have visual impairments (e.g., providing alt text for images for screen readers), hearing impairments, or motor disabilities (e.g., ensuring keyboard navigation is possible). Accessibility is not just good practice; it's often a legal requirement and demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity.

Key aspects include sufficient colour contrast for readability, semantic HTML structuring, and clear, descriptive labels. As per MDN Web Docs , ensuring adequate colour contrast is a vital part of web accessibility. Designing for accessibility ensures your message reaches the widest possible audience.

7. Performance & Speed: The Need for Speed

Website speed is crucial for user experience and SEO. Users expect pages to load almost instantly, and slow websites often lead to high bounce rates. Google's Core Web Vitals (Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift) are metrics that measure a site's real-world user experience in terms of loading, interactivity, and visual stability.

Optimising images, minimizing unnecessary code, and leveraging efficient hosting are all part of ensuring a fast, high-performing website. Mastering Core Web Vitals is key to superior user experience and SEO success. A speedy website keeps visitors happy and improves your search engine ranking.

Ready to Improve Your Website and Online Presence?

Mastering web design isn't about following fleeting trends, but about applying these timeless principles with a focus on your target audience. By prioritizing purpose, user experience, content, responsiveness, SEO, accessibility, and performance, you create a website that not only looks great but genuinely serves your business goals and connects with your customers.

Whether you're looking for a website that you can manage with an easy-to-use template or a fully custom website designed and developed by experts, understanding these core principles will set you on the path to online success. At 543 Design, we're here to help New Zealand businesses achieve their online potential with a friendly website that works hard for you. We provide professional web design services that ensure your online presence is both powerful and effective.

WordPress or Duda? Why 543 Design Backs Duda for Kiwi Small Business Success

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 03:15:04 GMT

Duda vs WordPress NZ: The Clear Winner for Kiwi Small Business Success

Choosing the right online home for your New Zealand business can feel like navigating a tricky fiord. Two major players often emerge in the website building landscape: WordPress and Duda. For many, the debate of Duda vs WordPress NZ is a crucial one. At 543 Design, we've carefully considered both, and we’re here to explain why we confidently back Duda as the superior platform for most Kiwi small businesses and individuals looking for a professional, high-performing, and affordable online presence.

Our goal is to provide 'affordability without compromise' and 'Kiwi-focused support' when it comes to web design. This means we choose tools that empower us to deliver exceptional results without unnecessary complexity or hidden costs, ensuring your website truly meets your specific needs and helps with growing your business. Let's dive into why Duda consistently comes out as the clear winner in our books.

Why 543 Design Trusts Duda for New Zealand Businesses

When it comes to building websites that truly serve our New Zealand clients, our rationale for choosing Duda as our primary web design platform is straightforward. We've seen firsthand how Duda streamlines the web development process, allowing us to deliver professional and high-performing websites affordably. This platform excels in areas that are critical for small businesses, from user-friendliness to robust performance metrics that directly impact your online visibility and success.

Duda empowers us to create stunning, functional websites that are built for the future, without the headaches often associated with other platforms. Its all-in-one nature means fewer moving parts, less maintenance for our clients, and a more secure online environment. This commitment to quality and ease of use aligns perfectly with our dedication to providing top-tier web design services tailored for the unique needs of Kiwi entrepreneurs.

Duda: The Streamlined Website Builder for Modern Kiwi Businesses

Duda isn't just another website builder; it's a strategically designed platform that prioritises efficiency, performance, and user empowerment. For small businesses, particularly here in New Zealand, these attributes translate directly into tangible benefits: less time spent on technical hassles and more time focusing on what you do best – running your business. It's a comprehensive solution that offers everything from intuitive design tools to powerful backend management.

Ease of Use and Maintenance: A Clear Winner

One of Duda's standout features, and a primary reason for 543 Design's endorsement, is its exceptional ease of use . Unlike platforms like WordPress, which often require ongoing updates, plugin management, and security patches, Duda handles all the technical heavy lifting. This means less worry about your site breaking or becoming vulnerable to cyber threats. The intuitive drag-and-drop builder allows for seamless content updates, even for clients with minimal technical expertise. Imagine being able to tweak your own website without needing a developer for every small change – that's the Duda advantage.

The simplified maintenance alone offers tremendous value for money, freeing up your valuable time and resources. This contrasts sharply with the WordPress ecosystem, where managing themes, plugins, and core updates can become a significant, often overlooked, time sink or an additional expense for ongoing website development and web design support.

Out-of-the-Box Performance and SEO Friendliness

In today's competitive online landscape, website speed and performance are paramount. Google prioritises fast-loading, mobile-responsive sites, impacting your search engine rankings through Core Web Vitals. This leads us to the question: Are Duda websites SEO-friendly? Absolutely. Duda is engineered for excellent out-of-the-box performance and strong SEO features.

Websites built on Duda consistently achieve high scores on performance metrics, ensuring a smooth user experience. This inherent speed, combined with built-in SEO settings for meta titles, descriptions, and clean code, means your Duda website is primed for optimal visibility in search engine snippets and AI responses. While WordPress requires specific SEO plugins and careful configuration to achieve similar results, Duda provides this advantage from the start, simplifying your digital marketing efforts in NZ.

All-in-One Solution for Peace of Mind

Duda offers a truly all-in-one solution. This means hosting, security (SSL certificates), and site updates are all bundled into the platform, providing peace of mind for business owners. You don't need to juggle multiple service providers for your website, email, and domain. This integrated approach simplifies management and reduces potential compatibility issues, making it a robust choice for Kiwi businesses. It allows you to focus on your core operations rather than managing a complex web infrastructure.

WordPress: The Powerful, Yet Complex Giant

WordPress holds a significant market share globally, known for its incredible flexibility and vast ecosystem of themes and plugins. It's an open-source platform, meaning developers have complete control over its code, allowing for virtually limitless customisation. This makes it a powerful choice for highly complex or unique web development projects. The sheer number of available plugins can add almost any functionality imaginable, from advanced SEO tools to intricate e-commerce setups.

However, this power comes with a trade-off: complexity. WordPress requires users to manage their own hosting, security, and updates. This can lead to a steep learning curve, ongoing maintenance challenges, and potential security vulnerabilities if not properly managed. Plugin conflicts, theme updates breaking functionality, and the constant need to stay on top of security patches are common headaches for WordPress users, turning what seems like a 'free' platform into a potentially costly and time-consuming venture.

Is Duda Better Than WordPress? A Kiwi Perspective

From the perspective of 543 Design and our experience serving New Zealand small businesses, the answer to " Is Duda better than WordPress? " is often a resounding yes for the majority of our clients. While WordPress offers unparalleled flexibility and open-source customisation, its advantages often come with significant responsibilities in terms of maintenance, security, and ongoing technical management. For the average Kiwi small business owner, time is a precious commodity, and the thought of troubleshooting plugin conflicts or dealing with security breaches is daunting.

Duda simplifies the entire process. It's a managed platform that handles the complexities in the background, allowing business owners to focus on their content and customers, not their website's infrastructure. Duda’s emphasis on intuitive design, built-in performance optimisation, and robust security makes it a pragmatic, future-proof choice that aligns perfectly with the needs of small to medium enterprises in NZ. While WordPress might be the right fit for very large, highly customised projects with dedicated in-house technical teams, Duda is the clear winner for efficiency, affordability, and peace of mind for most.

Is Duda a Good CMS? Absolutely!

Beyond being a fantastic website builder, " Is Duda a good CMS? " Yes, Duda functions as an excellent Content Management System (CMS). Its intuitive interface allows you to easily manage content, update pages, and make design tweaks without needing to touch a line of code. This empowers clients to take ownership of their own website content, reducing reliance on developers for minor updates and giving them greater control over their online presence. The drag-and-drop builder, coupled with robust content management tools, makes using Duda for content updates incredibly straightforward. This means less friction for real users when they want to make informed purchase decisions or simply keep their site fresh and current.

Duda is great for businesses that want a powerful yet easy-to-use platform to customize and maintain their digital storefront. It streamlines the content management process, ensuring your team can efficiently keep your website up-to-date and tailored to your needs.

Let's Talk Costs: Addressing the "Cheaper" Myth

When comparing platforms, a common question arises: " All of this sounds way cheaper than Duda, doesn't it? " On the surface, WordPress itself is "free." However, this perception can be misleading, as hidden and ongoing costs can quickly add up. A WordPress website requires separate hosting, domain registration, often premium themes, and numerous paid plugins for essential functionality like SEO, security, and e-commerce. You might also need to factor in regular web development support for updates, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

At 543 Design, we believe in transparent pricing that offers genuine value for money . Our Duda-based website design packages include the platform, hosting, and all essential features upfront, eliminating those unexpected hidden costs often associated with a WordPress site. For example, our Basic One Page Website is just $999 (including GST and a 20% online enquiry discount), with hosting at $365 per year. Our popular Comprehensive Website package, with unlimited pages and access to all platform features, is $2,499, also with $365 per year hosting. For those wanting to sell online, our Online Store solution is $2,999, with hosting at $549 per year. These prices include everything you need to get your professional New Zealand website design up and running, reflecting our commitment to affordability without compromise.

If you're considering a DIY approach, our Do It Yourself website builder allows you to get started for FREE, paying only low monthly subscription fees ($19/month for a Starter Website, $35/month for an Online Store) when you're ready to go live. This Duda pricing model offers clear monthly fee expectations, unlike the variable and often unpredictable expenses of a self-hosted WordPress setup. We provide solutions that are tailored to your needs, whether you opt for our professional design services or choose to build and manage your own website, ensuring best value.

Can I Add eCommerce to a Duda Site? Yes, and Easily!

For Kiwi businesses looking to sell products or services online, the ability to integrate ecommerce is paramount. " Can I add eCommerce to a site? " When it comes to Duda, the answer is a resounding yes, and it’s remarkably straightforward. Duda offers robust e-commerce features built directly into the platform, allowing you to create a fully functional online store . This includes product management, secure payment gateways, shipping options, and inventory tracking.

At 543 Design, we offer a dedicated Online Store package for $2,999, designed to leverage Duda's powerful e-commerce capabilities. This contrasts with setting up an online store on WordPress, which typically requires installing and configuring WooCommerce, along with potentially numerous other plugins, which can add layers of complexity and ongoing management. Duda makes building an online store accessible and efficient, allowing you to focus on your sales, not the technical intricacies of your platform.

Bandwidth and Storage on Duda Websites: What You Need to Know

A common concern for businesses migrating or choosing a new platform is regarding resource limits: " Are there any bandwidth or storage restrictions on Duda websites? " For the vast majority of small and medium-sized New Zealand businesses, Duda provides ample bandwidth and storage without explicit public restrictions on its core plans. Unlike some traditional hosting models where you might need to constantly monitor usage or upgrade packages as your traffic grows, Duda’s infrastructure is designed to scale with your needs.

This means you can generally upload images, videos, and content without worrying about hitting immediate limits or incurring unexpected overage fees. Duda manages the server infrastructure, ensuring your site loads quickly and remains accessible even during peak traffic. This managed approach is a significant advantage over WordPress, where you are responsible for choosing and managing your own hosting, which directly dictates your bandwidth and storage capacities.

Final Thoughts: Why Duda is the Smart Choice for Your NZ Business

In the ongoing debate of Duda vs WordPress NZ, 543 Design firmly believes Duda offers the superior solution for the vast majority of small businesses across Aotearoa. Its unparalleled ease of use, robust out-of-the-box performance, inherent SEO friendliness, and all-in-one managed platform provide an unbeatable combination of features and peace of mind.

While WordPress remains a powerful and flexible platform for certain niche applications, the complexities of maintenance, security, and the potential for accumulating hidden costs often outweigh its benefits for the typical Kiwi small business. Duda streamlines the process, empowering businesses to get online quickly, affordably, and with a professional, high-performing website that stands the test of time. We're proud to offer professional New Zealand website design services using Duda, ensuring you receive a future-proofed, fast, and effective online presence that reinforces our commitment to 'affordability without compromise' and 'Kiwi-focused support'. If you're looking for a partner to build your next website, consider partnering with a professional digital agency that understands your business needs and backs a platform built for modern success.

_Disclaimer: This article provides general information and opinions based on current industry knowledge. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, website platform features and pricing can change. Always consult with professionals or refer to official platform websites for the most up-to-date and specific details._

Google I/O 2025: Gemini AI Agents & Imagen 4 Revolutionize Search & Creativity

Tue, 20 May 2025 21:55:43 GMT

Key Updates from Google I/O 2025: Agents, Imagen 4, Veo 3 & More

Google's I/O 2025 keynote brought a wave of exciting announcements, showcasing how the company is pushing the boundaries of AI with its Gemini models. From advanced conversational agents to powerful new tools for creative media generation, these updates aim to bring cutting-edge research into practical reality for users and developers alike. Here's a look at some of the key highlights from the event, focusing on the new advancements you need to know about.

Transforming Communication: Google Beam & Speech Translation in Meet

Building on their Project Starline research, Google introduced Google Beam , a new AI-first video communications platform. This technology uses AI and an array of cameras to convert 2D video into a realistic 3D experience on a lightfield display, aiming for a more immersive conversation.

In addition, Google Meet is gaining speech translation capabilities. This feature can translate conversations in near real-time, attempting to match the speaker's voice, tone, and expressions to enable more natural cross-language communication.

What this means for you: These advancements are designed to make remote communication feel more natural and break down language barriers in virtual meetings and calls.

Source: Google Blog

A More Intuitive Assistant: Project Astra Becomes Gemini Live

Google's ambitious Project Astra, exploring the future of universal AI assistants, is now being integrated into Gemini Live . This brings Project Astra's camera and screen-sharing capabilities to the Gemini app, allowing the AI to understand the world around you through your device's view.

Practical implications: This makes the Gemini app a more versatile assistant, able to provide help based on what it "sees" or what's on your screen, useful for tasks like identifying objects or navigating interfaces.

Source: Google Blog

Introducing Agents: Project Mariner Evolves into Agent Mode

A major theme was the advancement of AI agents – systems that use AI models and tools to perform actions on your behalf. Google's early prototype, Project Mariner, has evolved, bringing its computer-use capabilities to the forefront. These agentic features are being made available to developers via the Gemini API and are also coming to Google products like Chrome, Search, and the Gemini app.

A new Agent Mode in the Gemini app was highlighted, capable of performing multi-step tasks like searching apartment listings across different websites, applying filters, and even accessing external services via protocols like Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) to schedule a tour.

How you can take advantage: Agent capabilities aim to automate complex tasks you perform on your computer or phone, saving you time and effort by letting the AI handle multi-step processes across different applications and websites.

Source: Google Blog

Enhanced Personalization: AI That Understands Your World

To make AI truly helpful, Google is introducing "personal context." With your permission, Gemini models can use relevant personal information from your Google apps (like Gmail and Google Drive) in a private and controlled way.

An example shown was personalized Smart Replies in Gmail . Gemini could access past emails and documents to suggest a response for a friend's road trip question, incorporating details from your own past trips and matching your typical writing style and tone.

Practical implications: This allows AI features to provide more relevant and tailored assistance based on your personal history and preferences across Google services, while emphasizing user control over their data.

Source: Google Blog

Reimagining Search: The New AI Mode

Google Search is also getting a significant upgrade with AI. AI Overviews , which provide AI-generated summaries for search results, have expanded globally and are driving increased search engagement.

For a more integrated AI experience, Google introduced an all-new AI Mode in Search . This dedicated tab is designed for more complex and longer queries, allowing for deeper exploration and follow-up questions with advanced reasoning powered by the latest Gemini models (Gemini 2.5 coming to Search). This is rolling out in the U.S.

What this means for you: Search is becoming more conversational and capable of handling intricate questions, providing comprehensive AI-powered results directly alongside traditional listings.

Source: Google Blog , Google Blog

Advancements in Gemini 2.5 & The Gemini App

Google continues to refine its Gemini models. The efficient Gemini 2.5 Flash model saw improvements across various benchmarks, while Gemini 2.5 Pro is getting an enhanced reasoning mode called "Deep Think," utilizing advanced parallel thinking techniques.

The Gemini app is also becoming more powerful with features like personalized Deep Research, allowing users to upload their own files and connect Google Drive/Gmail for custom reports. It's also integrating with Canvas for creating dynamic infographics, quizzes, and podcasts, and enabling "vibe coding" for building apps via chat.

Practical implications: These updates mean more powerful and versatile AI capabilities are available within the Gemini app and through Google's models, enabling everything from deeper personalized research to easier content creation and even app development.

Source: Google Blog , Google Blog

Next-Level Generative Media: Veo 3 & Imagen 4

Google unveiled significant updates to its generative media models. Veo 3 is their latest state-of-the-art video model, now featuring native audio generation. This allows the AI to create not just the visuals but also accompanying sounds for generated video clips.

For image generation, Google introduced Imagen 4 , described as their latest and most capable model yet. Both Veo 3 and Imagen 4 are being made available within the Gemini app, opening up new possibilities for creative expression.

Google also highlighted Flow , a new tool for filmmakers that uses Veo to create cinematic clips and extend short scenes into longer ones.

How you can take advantage: These models represent a leap forward in AI's ability to create high-quality video and images, offering powerful tools for artists, content creators, and anyone looking to explore generative media.

Source: Google Blog , Google Blog

The announcements at Google I/O 2025 underscore the company's rapid progress in AI, moving from research concepts like Project Starline and Project Mariner to real-world applications like Google Beam and Agent Mode. With more powerful models like Gemini 2.5, advanced generative media tools like Veo 3 and Imagen 4, and enhanced personalization features, Google is aiming to make AI more helpful, intuitive, and integrated into our daily lives.

Updates From Instagram Meta & Facebook

Tue, 13 May 2025 04:17:48 GMT

Key Updates in Online Tools, SEO & Online Advertising: News from Meta and Zapier

Staying on top of the latest changes in the world of online tools, from graphic design and marketing platforms to SEO and online advertising, can feel like a full-time job. For small businesses, knowing about these updates is crucial for staying competitive and reaching customers effectively. We've dug into the announcements from the past two weeks (ending May 13, 2025) to bring you the most relevant news.

Instagram Enhances 'Edits' Video Tool

Instagram has rolled out significant updates to its 'Edits' app, positioning it as a comprehensive video editing tool for creators. In early May 2025, two rounds of enhancements were released:

Learn more about Instagram's new features

Meta Introduces New Creator Marketing Tools

Meta announced a wave of new ad updates on May 2, 2025, focused on helping businesses leverage creators and short-form video across Instagram, Reels, and Threads. Key updates include:

Read the official announcement from Meta Business

Zapier Enhances Automation Platform with AI and New App Updates

Zapier, a popular no-code automation tool, continues to evolve its platform with a focus on AI and expanding its app integrations. Recent product news highlights include:

Explore Zapier's latest product news

These recent updates from Meta and Zapier demonstrate a strong trend towards enhancing capabilities with AI and improving the tools available for marketing, content creation, and workflow automation. By understanding and leveraging these new features, small businesses can find more efficient ways to connect with their audience, manage their operations, and drive growth in an increasingly digital landscape. Stay tuned for more updates as these platforms continue to evolve!

Choosing the Right Website Solution for Your NZ Small Business (DIY vs. Pro)

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 04:48:23 GMT

Choosing Your Website Solution: DIY vs Professional Design

Deciding how to get your small business online in New Zealand can feel a bit like standing at a fork in the road. On one path, you roll up your sleeves and build it yourself with a website builder. On the other, you hire a professional web designer or web design agency to handle everything. Both are totally valid ways to get a business website, and at 543 Design we think there is a place for both professional design and DIY options. It really comes down to what you need, your budget, and how much time and effort you're willing to put in.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of each option, helping you figure out the best fit for your unique business needs and goals. Whether you're looking for affordable web design or a polished, custom web design and development, understanding the trade-offs is key to making the right call for your online presence in the NZ digital world.

The DIY Approach: Building Your Own Website

The rise of user-friendly website builder platforms has made it easier than ever for small businesses and individuals to create a website without needing to know code. Platforms like Squarespace , Shopify (especially for ecommerce) , and the NZ-based Rocketspark offer templates and drag-and-drop interfaces that simplify the design process. Someone with a low budget who is technologically savvy can put together a really solid website themselves these days - particularly leveraging AI tools that many builders now incorporate.

The biggest draw here is often cost. Monthly subscription fees for these platforms are generally much lower upfront than hiring a professional. You also have direct control over your website, meaning you can make updates and changes whenever you need to without waiting for someone else. Our own DIY website builder offers this flexibility, putting the power to edit your website in your hands.

However, the DIY route requires a significant time investment. You'll need to learn the platform, design the layout, write the content, source images, and handle any technical setup like connecting your domain name. While platforms are user-friendly, achieving a truly professional and unique look that captures your brand can still be challenging with templates alone. Limitations in customisation and functionality compared to a custom-built site can also restrict how far you can take your online store or service offering.

Hiring a Professional Web Designer or Agency

Opting for a professional web designer or web design agency means entrusting your online presence to experts. A professional web designer offers a design service that goes beyond templates, creating a website that perfectly aligns with your brand and business objectives. This often involves custom web design and development, ensuring your site stands out online.

The primary benefit here is saving time and effort. Instead of spending hours wrestling with a builder, you can focus on running your business. Professionals can also bring a higher level of polish and strategic thinking to your site, optimising it not just for looks, but for user experience, conversions, and search engine optimisation (seo). A great website built by a professional is designed to be a powerful marketing tool.

A professional can make the process quicker, optimise the site for improved SEO and conversions, and generally create something with more polish. They understand things like mobile friendly design, search engine optimisation, and how to create websites that attract your target audience. Choosing a professional digital agency or a dedicated website designer is about prioritising your budget for a more hands-off, expert-driven process that aims to take your brand to the next level or help your business to the next level.

While the upfront cost is typically higher, the potential return on investment through a highly optimised, professional web presence can be significant. Professionals also often provide ongoing support and maintenance, ensuring your website remains secure, up-to-date, and functioning correctly.

How Much Does Website Design Cost in NZ?

The cost of web design in New Zealand varies considerably, depending heavily on the complexity and features required. It's one of the most common questions we get! The simple answer is that there's no one-size-fits-all price tag.

How much does it cost to design a website in NZ?

The cost to design a website in NZ can range from a few hundred dollars for a very basic DIY site (covering just hosting and domain) to tens of thousands for complex, custom-built platforms or ecommerce websites with extensive features. A simple site might cost less, while a professional, multi-page business website or an online store will naturally be a larger investment.

How much does it cost to have a web page designed?

Thinking about the cost per page isn't always the most accurate way to estimate, as much of the cost is in the overall design, setup, and underlying functionality that applies to the whole site. However, if you're looking for a professional to design additional pages for an existing site, costs can range depending on complexity. For specific project pricing, especially for professional design services, it's best to get a tailored quote based on your unique website needs.

How much should I pay a web designer?

What you should pay a web designer depends on their experience, location, the scope of the project, and the value they provide in terms of design skill, technical expertise, and strategic input (like seo and conversion optimisation). Pricing models vary; some charge hourly, others per project or package. Our specific pricing details for different services, including DIY options and professional packages, are available on our Pricing page . For a precise figure based on your requirements, we recommend getting a website quote directly from us.

Addressing Common Questions

Looking for a web design agency in New Zealand?

Whether you're looking for a web design agency or a freelance website designer, New Zealand has many talented professionals ready to help small businesses. The key is finding one that understands your vision and can deliver the results you need to stand out online. At 543 Design, we work with businesses across New Zealand, providing professional web design services tailored to help you succeed.

Are you ready to make your online presence slightly different?

Making your online presence stand out requires more than just a template; it needs strategic design and compelling content. If you're looking for a website that truly reflects your unique brand and engages your audience, exploring custom design options or working with professionals who specialise in creating bespoke digital experiences might be the right step for your business.

What happens if I don’t like the web design?

Professional web designers typically have a revision process built into their contracts. This allows for feedback and adjustments during the design phase to ensure the final result meets your expectations. Open communication and clear feedback are crucial here. Discuss the revision process and how feedback is handled before starting the project to ensure you are comfortable with the approach.

Our Approach at 543 Design

At 543 Design, we genuinely believe there's a place for both DIY and professional options when it comes to getting a website for your NZ business. Someone with a low budget who is technologically savvy can put together a really solid website themselves these days, particularly leveraging AI tools within builders. That’s why we offer a DIY website builder .

However, we also know that not everyone has the time, technical skill, or desire to build their own site. A professional can make the process quicker, optimise the site for improved SEO and conversions, and generally create something with more polish and a custom feel. It’s about prioritising your budget and your effort. Luckily, we do both, so even if you use our DIY option, our professional web designers and developers are available as a backup if you hit a snag or decide you want some expert help.

Whether you choose to create a website yourself or partner with us for professional web design services, our goal is to help New Zealand businesses thrive online. We offer solutions designed to be user-friendly, effective, and supportive of your goals, from a simple online presence to a fully functional ecommerce website.

Conclusion: Making the Right Choice for Your NZ Business

Choosing between a DIY website builder and a professional web designer in NZ boils down to balancing your budget, available time, technical comfort level, and desired outcome. A DIY approach offers affordability and direct control, suitable for simple needs and those willing to invest the time to learn and build. Professional web design provides expertise, saves you time, and generally results in a more polished, custom, and highly optimised site designed to drive better results for your business.

Both paths can lead to a functional website. The 'right' choice depends entirely on your specific circumstances. Consider what kind of online presence you need, how much you can realistically spend, and how much of your own time you can commit. Whatever you choose, having a strong online presence is essential for small businesses in New Zealand today. For further insights on this topic, you might find our other article on DIY vs. Professional Web Design helpful.

AI Advantage: Meta LlamaCon & Google Workspace Gemini Updates for Small Business

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:01:48 GMT

Key AI Updates: News from Meta and Google Workspace

The world of Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve rapidly, bringing powerful new capabilities to businesses of all sizes. Staying on top of the latest announcements can feel overwhelming, but here's a look at some recent updates from major players like Meta and Google Workspace that are generating buzz and could offer significant benefits for small businesses.

Meta Announces LlamaCon and Major AI Investment

Meta is making a significant push into the AI space, recently announcing their first-ever generative AI developer conference, LlamaCon, held on April 29, 2025. The conference is set to provide a deep dive into Meta's Llama AI models and offer developers an inside look at the future of open-source AI.

Alongside the conference, Meta revealed a massive investment plan, committing $60-80 billion this year to scale AI development and expand its data centers. This substantial financial backing underscores Meta's serious commitment to advancing its AI capabilities and infrastructure.

What this means for small businesses: Meta's focus on open-source AI through platforms like Llama could lead to the development of more accessible and customizable AI tools. For small businesses, this could translate into more affordable options for leveraging AI in areas like marketing, customer service, and content creation. The significant investment also suggests a long-term commitment to AI innovation that could benefit the broader ecosystem.

Learn more about Meta's LlamaCon announcement.

Google Workspace Unveils New AI Features Powered by Gemini

Google Workspace is integrating more advanced AI capabilities, powered by Gemini, across its suite of tools to help businesses work more efficiently. Google reports that Gemini in Workspace is already providing business users with over 2 billion AI assists every month.

Key announcements include:

Google also emphasized the security and privacy of business data when using Gemini in Workspace, stating that data is not reviewed by humans, not used to train models outside the domain without permission, and never sold. Data residency options are also being introduced.

What this means for small businesses: These updates offer a suite of tools designed to boost productivity and efficiency across common business tasks. Automation through Workspace Flows can free up valuable time. AI-powered writing and analysis tools in Docs and Sheets make it easier for anyone on the team to work with content and data. New audio and video generation features in Docs and Vids lower the barrier to creating engaging content. Gemini in Meet and Chat helps improve meeting effectiveness and team communication. Collectively, these features aim to make powerful AI capabilities practical and accessible for daily work.

Read the full announcement on the Google Workspace Blog.

These recent announcements highlight the ongoing innovation in the AI landscape and demonstrate how major technology companies are working to bring more practical and powerful AI tools to businesses. As these features roll out, small businesses have new opportunities to explore how AI can streamline operations, enhance creativity, and improve collaboration.

Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your NZ Business (Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Something Else)

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:00:03 GMT

Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your NZ Business (Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Something Else)

So, you're ready to start selling online or maybe upgrade your existing setup? Awesome! One of the biggest decisions you'll make is choosing the right ecommerce platform. It's the engine behind your online store, handling everything from product displays to payments. With options like Shopify, WooCommerce, and others floating around, it can feel a bit overwhelming. This guide breaks down the key players and factors to consider for your ecommerce website design NZ journey, helping you pick the best fit for your Kiwi business.

Think of an ecommerce platform as the foundation and toolkit for building and running your online shop. It provides the software and features needed to manage your products, inventory, payments, and orders. Getting this choice right from the start makes managing your online business much smoother and sets you up for growth.

What Exactly is an Ecommerce Platform and Why Does it Matter?

An ecommerce platform is essentially specialised software that lets businesses create, manage, and run their online store . It's the backbone that allows you to list products or services, accept payments securely online, manage customer orders, and track inventory. Without one, trying to sell online effectively would be incredibly complex, involving custom coding for carts, checkouts, and payment processing.

For businesses across New Zealand, having the right platform is crucial. It determines how easy your site is to manage, how flexible your design can be, what features you have access to (like marketing tools or shipping calculators), and ultimately, how scalable your online presence becomes. Choosing wisely impacts your day-to-day operations, customer experience, and potential for growth in the digital marketplace.

Key Things Kiwi Businesses Should Consider for Ecommerce Website Design

Before diving into specific platforms, let's look at the crucial factors you need to weigh up. Your specific needs will guide your decision, ensuring you don't pay for features you don't need or find yourself limited later on. Thinking about these aspects helps ensure your chosen platform aligns with your business goals .

Ease of Use

How tech-savvy are you (or your team)? Some platforms are incredibly user-friendly, designed for beginners with drag-and-drop interfaces. Others, while powerful, require more technical know-how for setup and customisation. Consider how much time you realistically have to dedicate to learning and managing the platform. A friendly website backend makes daily tasks much less of a chore.

Cost & Pricing Structure

Budgets matter, especially for small businesses. Look beyond the headline monthly fee. Consider transaction fees (some platforms charge a percentage on top of payment processor fees), costs for essential apps or plugins, theme costs, and potential website development expenses if you need custom work. Some platforms have higher upfront costs, while others have lower initial fees but potentially higher running costs.

Scalability

Think about your future plans. Will your product range expand significantly? Do you anticipate a large increase in traffic or sales? Choose a platform that can grow with your business. Migrating an established ecommerce website to a new platform later can be a complex and costly process, so planning for growth now is wise.

Features & Functionality

What specific features does your online store need? Make a list. This might include inventory management, various payment gateways options (like Afterpay or Laybuy popular in NZ), discount code capabilities, SEO tools, blog integration, customer accounts, abandoned cart recovery, or specific shipping rules. Check if these are built-in or require paid add-ons. Good tools for email marketing and digital marketing are often vital.

Design Flexibility & Customisation

Your website's design is crucial for branding and providing a positive user experience . How much control do you want over the look and feel? Some platforms offer highly customisable themes and code access, while others are more template-based. Ensure the platform allows for the level of custom web design you envision for your brand.

NZ Specific Needs

Consider factors relevant to operating in New Zealand. Does the platform easily integrate with NZ Post or local couriers? Does it handle GST correctly? Can it support popular NZ payment methods easily? While most major platforms can be configured, some make these local requirements easier to manage than others, especially when serving customers across New Zealand .

Comparing Popular Choices: Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Others for NZ Ecommerce

Okay, let's dive into the big names and some other great options, including what we often recommend here at 543 Design. Remember, there's no single "best" platform – it's about the best fit for \ you\ .

Shopify

Shopify is a hugely popular, hosted ecommerce platform. This means they handle the hosting, security, and technical backend stuff for you. It's known for being relatively easy to set up and use, even for beginners, with a clean interface and a large app store for adding functionality. It operates on a monthly subscription model, with varying tiers and transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce isn't a standalone platform but rather a free, open-source plugin for WordPress websites. This gives you immense flexibility and control, as you own your data and can customise almost anything. However, it means you are responsible for hosting, security, and maintenance. It generally requires a bit more technical comfort than Shopify. The plugin itself is free, but costs arise from hosting, themes, potentially premium plugins, and web development time.

Other Options (Including Duda Native/Ecwid via 543 Design)

At 543 Design, we often build ecommerce sites using the Duda website builder platform. This gives us two excellent integrated ecommerce options: Duda's native store and Ecwid. Duda's native store is fantastic for simpler needs – it has a very straightforward interface, making it super easy to manage a smaller range of products. For more complex requirements, we integrate Ecwid (which is actually one of the world's leading ecommerce platforms itself). Ecwid offers more advanced features, greater customisation, and integrates brilliantly with services like Printify (for print-on-demand businesses). A major plus with Ecwid is its dedicated mobile app for managing your store on the go.

The huge advantage of using Duda/Ecwid is that we get incredible flexibility with the overall website design – we're not constrained by typical ecommerce theme limitations. We can create truly unique, professional-looking sites that incorporate a powerful, yet easy-to-manage, online store. These options cover all the essential functionality most small to medium NZ businesses need. However, honesty is key! If a client's needs are highly complex or specific, and we genuinely think Shopify or WooCommerce would be a better long-term fit, we'll absolutely say so and can even refer them to trusted agencies who specialise in those platforms. Our priority is setting you up for success, regardless of the platform.

Other Platforms (Briefly)

Other platforms exist, like Squarespace Commerce (known for design, similar ease-of-use to Shopify but perhaps less ecommerce power), BigCommerce (a strong Shopify competitor, often aimed at larger businesses), and Magento (now Adobe Commerce, very powerful but complex and typically enterprise-level). These cater to different niches and scales within the online space .

Your NZ Ecommerce Questions Answered

Choosing an ecommerce platform often brings up practical questions. Here are answers to some common queries we hear from Kiwi businesses:

How much does it cost to design an eCommerce website in NZ?

The cost varies massively. A DIY approach using a simple platform might only involve monthly subscription fees (e.g., $40-$150+ NZD for Shopify) plus domain/hosting. A professionally designed ecommerce website design nz can range from a few thousand dollars for a straightforward setup on a platform like Duda/Ecwid or Shopify, to $10,000+ for complex builds with custom features, extensive product catalogues, or deep integrations, particularly on platforms like WooCommerce or Magento. It depends heavily on complexity, features, the chosen platform, and the ecommerce web design company you work with.

Is New Zealand good for eCommerce?

Yes, absolutely! New Zealand has high internet usage, a population comfortable with online shopping, reliable logistics infrastructure, and secure payment systems. The ecommerce market in NZ is well-established and continues to grow, offering significant opportunities for businesses to reach customers both locally and potentially internationally.

How do you design an e-commerce website?

The basic website design process involves:

Working with professionals can streamline this, ensuring best practice is followed for a successful online shop . We offer professional ecommerce website design services to help businesses across NZ.

What's the difference between a website & an ecommerce website?

A standard website primarily provides information (e.g., about a business, service, blog). An ecommerce website , on the other hand, is specifically built to facilitate online transactions. It includes core functionality like a product catalogue, shopping cart, checkout process, and integration with payment systems, allowing users to purchase products or services directly through the site. It's essentially a digital storefront designed to sell online .

Is email marketing important for an e-commerce website?

Yes, highly important! Email marketing is a powerful tool for ecommerce businesses. It helps build customer relationships, announce new products or sales, recover abandoned carts (nudging customers who left items behind), and drive repeat purchases. It often provides one of the highest returns on investment within your digital marketing strategy.

How are payments made online with an ecommerce business?

Online payments are processed through payment gateways . These are secure third-party services (like Stripe, PayPal, Windcave, POLi in NZ) that integrate with your ecommerce platform . When a customer checks out, the gateway securely handles the card details, authorises the transaction with the bank, and transfers the funds to your business account. Your platform needs to support the gateways you want to offer.

Our Approach to Ecommerce Website Design at 543 Design

At 543 Design, we focus on providing affordable, high-quality web design solutions tailored for small businesses across NZ . When it comes to ecommerce , our preference for building within the Duda platform, utilising either its native store or the powerful Ecwid integration, stems from its ability to offer the best of both worlds: fantastic design flexibility and robust, user-friendly ecommerce functionality. This allows us to create a professional, friendly website that looks amazing and is easy for you to manage without needing a huge budget or extensive technical skills.

We believe the website design process should be collaborative. Our team works to design and develop sites that not only look great but also meet your specific business needs and help you achieve your online goals. We always use responsive website design principles, ensuring your site looks and works perfectly whether customers access your website on a desktop, tablet, or mobile phone. We work collaboratively with our development team to transform your vision into a reality, creating a website design that you love and that effectively represents your brand in the online space .

Making the Right Choice for Your NZ Business

Choosing the right ecommerce platform is a critical step in establishing or growing your online business in NZ . There's no single 'best' answer – Shopify excels in ease of use for many, WooCommerce offers unparalleled flexibility for those comfortable with WordPress, and platforms like Duda/Ecwid (our preferred choice) provide a fantastic balance of design freedom and powerful, user-friendly ecommerce features, especially suitable for small to medium businesses needing professional website design without breaking the bank.

Carefully consider your budget, technical comfort level, required features, and future growth plans. Assess the pros and cons of each option in relation to your unique situation. If you're feeling unsure or want expert guidance tailored to your needs, get in touch! We specialise in affordable and effective ecommerce website design NZ wide, including for businesses in Auckland . We can help you navigate the options and build an online store designed to help your business succeed. Let's chat about bringing your ecommerce vision to life.

Canva Visual Suite 2.0: Your Business's New Superpower

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 03:27:19 GMT

Understanding Canva's Visual Suite 2.0: What It Means for Your Business

Canva's Latest Updates: A Game-Changer for Small Businesses

In April 2025, Canva unveiled its most significant update yet at the Canva Create 2025 event: Visual Suite 2.0. This comprehensive overhaul integrates productivity and creativity tools into a single platform, aiming to streamline workflows for individuals and teams alike. With over 230 million users worldwide, Canva's latest features are designed to make design more accessible and efficient for everyone, from small business owners to educators.

Source: Canva Newsroom

What Is Visual Suite 2.0?

Visual Suite 2.0 is Canva's integrated platform that combines various design formats—presentations, documents, whiteboards, spreadsheets, and more—into one cohesive workspace. This means users no longer need to switch between different tools or platforms to complete a project. Everything from brainstorming to final design can now happen within Canva, simplifying the creative process and enhancing collaboration.

Key Features and How They Work

Potential Use Cases for You

Why This Matters / What This Could Mean for You

Canva's Visual Suite 2.0 represents a significant shift towards an all-in-one platform that caters to both creative and operational needs. For small businesses, this means reduced reliance on multiple tools, leading to cost savings and more streamlined workflows. The integration of AI features like Magic Studio and Canva AI can significantly cut down the time spent on content creation and editing. Moreover, the user-friendly interface ensures that even those without a design background can produce professional-quality materials.

Verified Resources:

Conclusion

Canva's Visual Suite 2.0 is a comprehensive update that brings together various tools to simplify and enhance the design process. By integrating AI capabilities and offering a unified workspace, Canva empowers users to create, collaborate, and innovate more efficiently. Whether you're a small business owner, educator, or part of a creative team, these new features are designed to support your goals and streamline your workflows.

Explore the new Visual Suite 2.0 and see how it can transform your creative process: Learn more on Canva

SEO & Ads: April 2025's Wild Ride

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 02:45:00 GMT

April 2025 Update: What’s New in SEO and Online Advertising

April 2025 has brought significant developments in the realms of search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising. From major legal rulings affecting tech giants to updates in Google's search algorithms and advertising platforms, these changes have practical implications for small business owners and individuals looking to enhance their online presence. Here's a breakdown of the most noteworthy updates and what they mean for you.

Google's Ad Tech Monopoly Ruling: A Game Changer

In a landmark decision, a U.S. federal court ruled that Google has been operating an illegal monopoly in the online advertising technology sector. The court found that Google unlawfully maintained dominance in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets, violating antitrust laws. This ruling could lead to significant changes in how digital ads are bought and sold, potentially increasing competition and offering more choices for advertisers.

What This Means for You:

For more details, read the full article here: Axios: Google loses online advertising monopoly case

Google's April 2025 Search Algorithm Update: Emphasizing Helpful Content

Google's latest algorithm update focuses on promoting content that is genuinely helpful to users. The update aims to reward websites that provide valuable, informative content while penalizing those that rely on clickbait or low-quality material. This shift underscores the importance of creating content that meets the needs and expectations of your audience.

Action Steps:

Learn more about adapting to Google's updates: Quantifi Media: Google's April 2025 Updates

Meta Ads Manager Recognized as Top Advertising Platform

Meta's Ads Manager has been named one of the top digital advertising platforms for businesses in 2025. The platform offers comprehensive tools for creating, managing, and optimizing advertising campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta-owned platforms. Its user-friendly interface and advanced targeting options make it a valuable resource for businesses aiming to reach specific audiences.

Benefits for Small Businesses:

Explore Meta Ads Manager here: GlobeNewswire: Meta Ads Manager Awarded Top Ad Platform

Google's Decision on Third-Party Cookies: What You Need to Know

Google has announced that it will not implement a standalone prompt to address third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. Instead, users will continue to manage their privacy settings through existing tools. This decision comes amid legal challenges and debates over user privacy and data tracking.

Implications:

Read more about Google's decision: Reuters: Google opts out of standalone prompt for third-party cookies

Tariffs Impacting Online Advertising Budgets

Recent economic policies, including tariffs, are affecting the U.S. advertising market. Companies like Temu and Shein are reducing their advertising spending in response to increased operating expenses due to new import levies. This trend indicates a cautious approach to advertising budgets amid economic uncertainties.

Considerations for Your Business:

For more information, see the full article: The Guardian: Temu and Shein drop US ad spending as they face tariffs

In summary, April 2025 has been a month of significant changes in SEO and online advertising. From legal rulings affecting major tech companies to shifts in search algorithms and advertising strategies, staying informed and adaptable is crucial. By focusing on creating valuable content, leveraging effective advertising platforms, and monitoring economic trends, small businesses and individuals can navigate the evolving digital landscape successfully.

Small Business Graphic Design: 2025's Must-Have Tools

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 02:00:48 GMT

Top Graphic Design Tools for Small Businesses in 2025: What's New and Worth Trying

In April 2025, small businesses have more powerful and accessible design tools than ever before. Whether you're creating social media posts, flyers, logos, or full marketing campaigns, the latest updates in graphic design software are making it easier for non-designers to produce professional-quality visuals. Here's a roundup of the most notable developments from the past two weeks that can help elevate your brand.

Canva Visual Suite 2.0: All-in-One Design and Productivity Platform

Canva has launched its most significant update yet with Visual Suite 2.0. This release integrates design, documents, spreadsheets, and even coding into a single platform. New features include:

These enhancements aim to simplify workflows by allowing teams to collaboratively produce documents, presentations, websites, and campaigns in a single, visually unified space.

Why it matters: For small businesses, this means less time switching between apps and more cohesive branding across all materials. The AI features, like Magic Design and Magic Write, assist in generating layouts and content swiftly, even without design experience.

Learn more: Canva Visual Suite 2.0 Announcement

Adobe Express with Firefly AI: Simplifying Design for Non-Designers

Adobe Express, powered by Firefly AI, has become a go-to tool for small businesses needing quick, professional-quality designs. It allows users to create everything from brand-consistent marketing materials to social media posts in just a few clicks.

Why it matters: The tool's AI capabilities simplify design processes, allowing users to turn their visions into reality without specialized prompts. This makes it accessible for non-designers to produce eye-catching, brand-consistent content.

Explore more: Why Adobe's Firefly-Powered Express Is the Design Tool You Can't Ignore

Figma's April 2025 Updates: Enhancing Collaboration and Design Systems

Figma has introduced new updates aimed at improving collaboration and design systems. Notably, the release includes:

Why it matters: These updates make Figma more versatile for teams working on various design projects, from UI/UX to marketing materials, enhancing both functionality and user experience.

Details here: Figma Release Notes

Exploring Free Design Tools: Options for Budget-Conscious Businesses

For small businesses looking to minimize expenses, several free design tools have been highlighted as top choices in 2025:

Why it matters: These tools provide robust features without the cost, making them ideal for startups and small businesses needing to create professional designs on a tight budget.

AI-Powered Design Trends: Embracing Innovation in 2025

Artificial intelligence continues to shape graphic design trends in 2025. Key developments include:

Why it matters: Staying updated with these trends allows small businesses to create contemporary and engaging designs that resonate with their audience.

Discover more: 7 Current Graphic Design Trends In 2025

Conclusion: Empowering Small Businesses Through Accessible Design Tools

The landscape of graphic design tools in 2025 offers small businesses unprecedented opportunities to create professional and engaging content. With platforms like Canva, Adobe Express, and Figma continuously evolving, and free tools like PhotoDirector and Promeo providing cost-effective solutions, businesses can now produce high-quality designs without extensive resources or expertise. Embracing AI-powered features and staying attuned to current design trends will further enhance your brand's visual impact and competitiveness in the market.

AI Tools Update: April 2025 - AI Everywhere & Easier Than Ever

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 05:02:59 GMT

AI Tools Update: Key News from Early to Mid-April 2025

It feels like Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are getting updated almost every week! Keeping track can be tricky, especially if you're not deeply technical. This update covers some interesting developments from roughly the first half of April 2025, focusing on how these changes might make AI more useful for everyday tasks, whether for your small business or personal projects.

ChatGPT Gets a Better Memory

Remember how ChatGPT could sometimes forget what you discussed earlier in a conversation, or in previous chats? OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced an upgrade to its memory around April 10th. Now, ChatGPT can optionally remember details from *all* your past conversations.

The idea is to make it more like a personal assistant that gets to know you over time, remembering your preferences, interests, and past requests to give you more relevant and personalized responses.

Why This Matters / What This Could Mean for You: This could make using ChatGPT much smoother. Instead of repeating background information or preferences every time, ChatGPT can draw on past interactions. For example, if you've told it about your business type or preferred writing style before, it might remember that for future requests. Importantly, this feature is optional, and you can control what it remembers or start fresh chats that don't use this memory.

Google Gemini Can Now Make Short Videos

Google has added video generation capabilities to its AI tool, Gemini. Announced around April 15th-16th, users with the paid Gemini Advanced subscription (part of the Google One AI Premium plan) can now create short, 8-second video clips directly from text descriptions using a new model called Veo 2. These videos are generated in 720p resolution.

Why This Matters / What This Could Mean for You: While it's currently limited to short clips and requires a subscription, it shows how AI is making video creation more accessible. Imagine quickly generating a simple animated graphic for social media or a short visual for a presentation just by describing it. This points towards a future where creating custom video content might not require complex software or skills.

More AI Help in Google Docs, Gmail & Workspace

If you use Google Docs, Gmail, Sheets, etc. (known as Google Workspace), Google has been steadily rolling out more AI features powered by its Gemini model. Around early to mid-April, several updates and announcements highlighted this ongoing integration.

Features like "Help me write" (which drafts emails or documents) are getting smarter and supporting more languages. Powerful research features (like 'Deep Research' which can gather and summarize info) are becoming available with newer AI models. Google also announced 'Workspace Flows', a new feature (starting in early testing) aiming to automate multi-step tasks using AI, like managing approvals or routing customer requests based on analyzing the content.

Why This Matters / What This Could Mean for You: These updates mean more AI assistance directly within the tools many businesses and individuals use daily. "Help me write" can be a huge time-saver for drafting communications. Automation features like Flows (when widely available) could streamline common business processes without needing complex setup. Having AI help right inside your document or email reduces the need to switch between different apps.

Notion AI Gets Smarter Organisation Features

Notion, a popular tool for notes, project management, and wikis, has also been enhancing its integrated AI features. Recent updates focus on helping you organize and make sense of your information more easily.

Notion AI can now help summarize long documents, automatically suggest relevant tags to make searching easier, and even propose better headings and sections to structure rambling notes or documents. Think of it as an AI assistant helping tidy up your digital workspace.

Why This Matters / What This Could Mean for You: If you use Notion (or similar tools) to manage information, these features can save significant time. Instead of manually tagging pages or struggling to summarize meeting notes, the AI can provide a first pass. Better structure and tags make it much faster to find what you need later, improving overall productivity.

Easier Image Creation & Marketing Helpers

Creating visuals and marketing content also saw AI advancements. OpenAI updated the image generation within ChatGPT (now using GPT-4o) to produce higher quality images, handle text within images better, and even create images with transparent backgrounds easily – great for logos or web graphics.

Beyond specific tools, there's a continued trend of AI assistants designed for specific business tasks, especially marketing. Tools like Jasper or Copy.ai focus on generating marketing copy, social media posts, and ad text, while others help create interactive website elements like quizzes or pop-ups to capture leads.

Why This Matters / What This Could Mean for You: Generating custom images directly in a chat interface like ChatGPT makes creating visuals for presentations, blog posts, or social media much quicker and requires less design skill. The specialized marketing AI tools can automate repetitive content creation tasks, freeing up time for small business owners to focus on strategy or customer interaction.

Wrapping Up

The first half of April 2025 showed AI tools continuing to become more integrated into the software we use every day, smarter at understanding our context (like ChatGPT's memory), and increasingly capable of helping with creative tasks like video and image generation. The focus seems to be shifting towards making AI genuinely helpful and time-saving for practical, everyday tasks without requiring users to be tech experts. It's worth keeping an eye on these tools, as even small updates can significantly improve how you work!

DIY vs Professional Web Design

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 08:18:14 GMT

DIY vs Professional Web Design NZ: Which is Right for Your Business?

So, you need a website for your NZ business. That's a great first step towards building a solid online presence ! But when it comes to building your website, one question often comes up: should you do it yourself (DIY), or should you hire a professional web designer ? With the rise of easy-to-use website builder platforms, the DIY approach seems more accessible than ever. But does it truly stack up against a professional web design ?

Deciding between a DIY vs professional web design path can feel tricky. Both options have their merits and drawbacks, and the right choice often depends on your specific needs, budget, technical skills, and business goals. This article dives into the nitty-gritty of diy vs professional web design nz , helping you weigh the options and make an informed decision for your unique situation.

Understanding DIY Web Design: Can You Really Do It Yourself?

The DIY web design route involves using online platforms often called website builders like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, or even WordPress with page builder plugins. These tools are designed to be user-friendly, often featuring drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-made templates, and guided setup processes. The promise is that anyone can create a website without needing to code.

Anything’s possible with the slew of website builders out there, right? Well, mostly. These DIY platforms certainly empower users to get a basic site online quickly and often very affordably. For freelancers, hobbyists, or small businesses with minimal requirements and tight budgets, the diy option can seem like a perfect fit. You get full control over the content updates and the initial cost-effective nature is appealing. Many find these website builders relatively easy to use for basic structures.

Pros of DIY Web Design:

Cons of DIY Web Design:

The Benefits of Professional Web Design in NZ

Opting for professional web design means engaging a skilled individual (a professional web designer or website designer ) or a web design agency to create your website. These professionals bring expertise in design principles, user experience (UX), coding (or advanced use of platforms), and crucial elements like Search Engine Optimisation ( SEO ).

A professional website is more than just aesthetics; it's a strategic business tool. When you hire a professional web designer , you're investing in their experience to build a site that not only looks great but also functions flawlessly, represents your brand accurately, and helps you achieve your business objectives, such as attracting leads or making sales. They handle the complex aspects of web development and design.

Pros of Professional Web Design:

Cons of Professional Web Design:

DIY vs Professional Web Design: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Let's break down the key differences when considering the diy vs professional web approaches:

Cost:

Time Investment:

Design & Customization:

Functionality:

SEO & Visibility:

Maintenance & Support:

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Answering Your Key Web Design Questions

Navigating the world of website design can bring up several questions. Let's address some common ones for those considering options in NZ .

Is it better to build your own website or hire someone?

The best choice depends entirely on your circumstances. If you have ample time, very basic needs, a tight budget, and some technical inclination, the DIY route using a website builder might suffice initially. However, if you value a unique design, need specific functionality, want strong SEO performance from the start, and prefer to focus your time on your core business, it's generally better to hire a professional web designer . A professional website often yields better long-term results and presents a more credible image.

How much does it cost to design a website NZ?

Costs vary significantly in New Zealand. DIY platform subscriptions might range from $0 (with limitations) to $50-$100+ NZD per month. Professional web design services can range from around $1,000-$2,000 NZD for a very basic small site from a freelancer, up to $5,000-$15,000+ NZD or more for a complex, custom-built site from an experienced web design agency or professional web designer . Factors influencing cost include complexity, number of pages, e-commerce needs, custom features, and the designer's experience. Always get quotes based on your specific requirements.

Should I hire a web designer or developer?

Often, the terms are used interchangeably, especially by smaller agencies or freelancers who handle both. Technically, a web designer focuses on the look, feel, and usability (the front-end). A web developer focuses on the technical construction and functionality (the back-end code and server interactions). For most small business websites, hiring a professional web designer or a web design company that offers both design and basic development (like building on WordPress or another CMS) is sufficient. If you need highly complex, custom web applications, you might specifically need a dedicated web developer .

Are Web Designers expensive?

Hiring a professional web designer involves costs, but whether it's 'expensive' depends on the value you receive. Consider it an investment in your digital presence . A cheap website that doesn’t perform, attract customers, or reflect your brand well can be far more costly in the long run due to lost opportunities. A well-designed professional site that drives business is worth the investment. Look for designers who offer clear value and whose pricing aligns with the scope and quality provided. It's wise to compare quotes but focus on portfolio, experience, and understanding of your goals, not just the price tag when deciding whether to choose a professional .

Do you need to invest in SEO in 2025?

Absolutely. SEO is arguably more important than ever. Having a website isn't enough; people need to find it. Effective SEO increases your website's visibility in search engine results when potential customers in NZ (and beyond) are looking for your products or services. It drives organic (free) traffic, builds credibility, and provides one of the best long-term returns on investment for your online presence . Whether you go DIY or professional, factoring in ongoing SEO effort is crucial for success.

Finding the Sweet Spot: The 543 Web Design Approach

Confused about whether to hire a professional web designer or go the DIY route ? It's a common dilemma. At 543 Web Design, we understand that many small businesses in NZ need a balance – the quality and effectiveness of professional web design combined with affordability and ease of management often associated with the DIY approach .

That's why 543 tries to give clients the best of both worlds . We offer affordable professional web design services where we handle the expert design, setup, and initial SEO optimisation to ensure you get a high-quality, effective online platform. But we build your site on a powerful platform that includes an easy to use website editor . This means after the professional build, you can easily log in and update your own text, images, blog posts, or products if you want to, giving you the control often sought in DIY solutions without sacrificing the professional foundation.

This hybrid model aims to provide a cost-effective path to a truly professional website . You benefit from our expertise in creating a visually appealing, user-friendly , and search-engine-optimised site, while retaining the flexibility to manage your content simply and efficiently. It’s about getting a great website that works for your business, without the limitations of pure DIY or the potential ongoing costs and dependencies of some traditional agency models. We focus on delivering quality website design that empowers our clients.

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Making the Choice: DIY or Professional Web Design for Your NZ Business?

So, back to the original question: DIY vs professional web design NZ – what should you choose? There's no single right answer, but you can make the best decision by carefully considering these factors:

If budget is the absolute primary constraint and your needs are very simple, DIY might be a starting point. However, for most businesses aiming for growth, credibility, and a strong return on investment from their online presence, investing in professional web design services , or a hybrid approach like 543's, is typically the more strategic choice. It helps ensure your website not only exists but actually performs.

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Conclusion: Investing in Your Online Presence

Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business in NZ. It’s your digital storefront, your online brochure, and a critical tool for growth. Whether you choose the DIY route using website builders like Wix or Squarespace, or you decide to hire a professional web designer , the goal is to create an effective, engaging, and discoverable online presence .

The diy vs professional web design nz debate highlights a spectrum of options. DIY offers low initial cost and control but demands significant time and may limit design and SEO potential. Professional design delivers expertise, customisation, and optimised performance but requires a higher upfront investment. Remember the value of a professionally designed website often extends far beyond its initial cost through better branding, improved user experience , and increased visibility .

Consider your resources, goals, and priorities carefully. And if you're looking for a solution that blends professional quality with user-friendly management right here in NZ , explore options like 543 Web Design that aim to offer the best of both worlds. Investing wisely in your web design is investing in the future success of your business online.

From Dated to Dazzling: Signs Your Business Website Needs a Refresh

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:44:01 GMT

From Dated to Dazzling: Signs Your Business Website Needs a Refresh

Let's be honest, your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. It's your digital shopfront, working 24/7. But just like a physical store, it can start looking a bit tired and outdated over time. If your website isn't pulling its weight anymore, it might be time for a refresh or even a full website redesign , especially if you're targeting customers in places like Napier or Hastings here in Hawke's Bay .

How do you know when it's time? We generally think most sites that are 3 years or older could probably do with a refresh – things change fast online! Sticking with an old design means you miss out on improved performance, better user experience, and new features. Here are some key signs that your current website might be holding your business back.

Is Your Website Stuck in the Past? Key Signs it's Time for a Change

Think about your current website. Does it truly reflect your brand and help you connect with customers? Or does it feel like a digital relic? Recognising the signs early can save you from losing potential business. Here are some common indicators that a website redesign might be on the cards.

1. It Just Looks Dated or Unprofessional

Design trends evolve quickly. What looked modern a few years ago might look clunky and unprofessional today. This includes outdated graphics, hard-to-read fonts, cluttered layouts, and low-quality images. Your website looks need to be current to build trust. A dated design can make potential customers think your business is similarly behind the times.

First impressions count, especially online. A professional, modern web design shows you care about your customer's experience and are serious about your business. If your site feels more 1999 than 2024, it’s definitely time for an update. We specialise in creating a beautiful website that reflects your unique brand.

2. It's Not Mobile-Friendly (Responsive Design)

More people browse the web on their phones and tablets than on desktops these days. If your website doesn't automatically adjust its layout to fit smaller screens (a feature called responsive design), you're providing a frustrating experience for a huge chunk of your audience. They'll likely just leave and go to a competitor whose site works properly on their device.

Google also prioritises mobile-friendly websites in its search results. So, if your site isn't responsive, your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) will suffer, making it harder for people to find you in the first place. Every new website we build is fully responsive, ensuring a great experience on any device.

3. It's Slow to Load

Nobody likes waiting for a slow website. If your pages take more than a few seconds to load, visitors will likely hit the back button. Slow loading times can be caused by large image files, clunky code, poor hosting, or outdated technology (like an old WordPress website that's slowed to a crawl).

Page speed is also a crucial factor for SEO . Search engines prefer fast-loading sites. A website refresh or redesign often involves optimising images, cleaning up code, and potentially moving to a faster platform (we love Squarespace for its speed and reliability) to ensure your site is quick and responsive.

4. Your Branding Has Evolved (Or You Need a Brand Strategy)

Businesses grow and change. Maybe you've updated your logo, changed your brand colours, shifted your business focus, or refined your target audience. Your website needs to reflect these changes. An inconsistent brand experience across your marketing materials and website can confuse customers.

Sometimes, a website refresh is part of a larger brand strategy overhaul. If your business has matured, your website should mature with it. It needs to clearly communicate who you are \ now\ and what makes you different. Ensuring your website reflects your current brand identity is vital for building recognition and trust.

5. It's Hard to Update (Poor CMS)

Can you easily add new blog posts, update text, or change images yourself? Or do you need to call a developer for every minor tweak? Modern websites are typically built on Content Management Systems (CMS) like Squarespace or WordPress , designed to make updates straightforward.

If your website is built on old technology or a system that's difficult to use, you'll likely avoid making necessary updates, leading to stale content. We often recommend Squarespace website design because its website editor means updates are simple, allowing you to keep your content fresh without needing technical skills. Having a site that's easy to manage is crucial.

6. It's Not Generating Leads or Sales

Ultimately, your website should be a tool to help your business succeed online . It should attract visitors, engage them, and guide them towards taking action – whether that's filling out a contact form, making a purchase from your online store , or picking up the phone. If your website isn't converting visitors into leads or customers, something is wrong.

This could be due to poor calls-to-action, confusing navigation, a lack of compelling content, or any of the other issues mentioned above. A strategic website redesign focuses not just on looks but also on user journey and conversion optimisation to help you grow my business .

7. Poor Search Engine Performance (Bad SEO)

Is your website buried deep in search engine results? If potential customers can't find you on Google, your amazing products or services might as well not exist online. Older websites often lack proper SEO foundations or haven't kept up with evolving search engine algorithms.

A modern web design incorporates SEO best practices from the ground up. This includes technical SEO (like site speed and mobile-friendliness), on-page SEO (keyword optimisation, good content structure), and ensuring your site architecture is easy for search engines to crawl and understand. Good design and SEO go hand-in-hand.

How Often Should a Website Be Redesigned? (Our Take)

There's no single magic number, but as mentioned, we think most sites 3 years or older could do with a refresh . The digital landscape changes rapidly – user expectations evolve, design trends shift, and technology advances. Waiting too long can mean your website becomes ineffective or even obsolete. A regular refresh keeps your online presence sharp and competitive.

Think of it like servicing your car; regular maintenance prevents bigger problems down the track. For websites, this means staying current with design, technology, and SEO best practices. Our Pay As You Go plans often incorporate refreshes to ensure your site stays modern and effective without a huge upfront cost.

Website Redesign vs. Revamp: What's the Difference?

These terms are often used interchangeably, but there can be a subtle difference:

Whether you need a simple refresh or a full redesign depends on the issues your current site has and your business goals. We can help you figure out the best approach for your needs and budget.

The Benefits of a Modern Website Redesign in Hawke's Bay

Investing in a professional website redesign offers significant advantages for businesses in Hawke's Bay and beyond. It's not just about looking good; it's about achieving better business results. A new website built correctly can truly make a difference.

Incorporating New Technology (Like AI!)

A major benefit of a redesign is the chance to incorporate new technology. Older sites might not support features that users now expect. This could include better integration with social media, advanced analytics, improved security features, or even cutting-edge tools like AI-powered chatbots to provide instant customer support or guide users through your site. Staying current technologically enhances user experience and efficiency.

Boosting Your SEO and Search Engine Visibility

A redesign is the perfect opportunity to build a strong SEO foundation. By focusing on clean code, fast load times, mobile-responsiveness, logical site structure, and keyword-optimised content from the start, you significantly improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results. This means more organic traffic from potential customers actively looking for what you offer.

Improving User Experience and Engagement

A well-designed website provides a seamless and enjoyable experience for visitors. Intuitive navigation, clear calls-to-action, engaging content, and a visually appealing layout encourage users to stay longer, explore more pages, and ultimately convert. A positive experience with your brand online builds trust and loyalty, making users more likely to become customers and recommend you to others. A redesign helps engage your customers effectively.

Can You Update My Existing Website?

Yes, absolutely! Sometimes a full rebuild isn't necessary. If your existing website has a solid foundation but just needs a facelift or some technical improvements, we can certainly help update my website . This could involve refreshing the design, improving page speed, enhancing mobile responsiveness, or adding new features.

We can assess your current site and recommend whether a refresh or a full redesign is the most cost-effective and impactful solution. We work with various platforms, including Squarespace and WordPress , providing a tailored design service .

How Much Does a Website Redesign Cost?

The cost of a website redesign varies significantly based on several factors: the size and complexity of the site, the specific features required (e.g., e-commerce functionality for an online store , custom integrations), whether new branding or content creation is needed, and the platform used. A simple refresh will cost less than a complex rebuild.

We pride ourselves on providing affordable website design solutions tailored for small businesses and individuals across New Zealand. We focus on delivering high-quality website design at a price that local businesses can afford . We achieve this by designing smarter , focussing on tools and techniques that let us create high quality, professional sites efficiently. For specific pricing, it's best to get in touch so we can discuss your needs and provide a detailed quote for your [professional website design](https://www.543websitedesign.co.nz/professional-new-zealand/website-design).

Ready for a Dazzling New Website? Let's Talk!

If you've recognised any of these signs, it might be time to consider a website redesign for your Hawke's Bay business (or wherever you're based in NZ!). Don't let an outdated online presence hold you back. A fresh, modern, and strategically built website can revitalise your brand , attract more customers, and help your business thrive.

Whether you need a simple refresh, a completely new website , help with your brand strategy , or ongoing support, we're here to help. We specialise in creating beautiful, functional, and affordable website design solutions, particularly using Squarespace , ensuring your website up and running smoothly and effectively. Ready to start your website design journey and transform your online presence? [Contact us today to discuss your project!](https://www.543websitedesign.co.nz/professional-new-zealand/website-design)

How To Build A High Converting Website

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 22:49:07 GMT

How To Build A High Converting Website In 2024

In 2024’s fast-paced digital landscape, creating a high-converting website is essential for any business looking to succeed online. A well-designed, high-converting website does more than just attract visitors; it engages them and encourages them to become customers, driving revenue and growth for your business. In this article, we’ll dive into the key elements of building a high-converting website—from defining conversions to understanding their impact and learning what makes a site truly effective at converting. Whether you’re a small business or a large eCommerce brand, mastering these principles can help you optimise your online presence and deliver an outstanding user experience.

Main Takeaways

To improve website conversion rates, focus on a fast, user-friendly experience, persuasive calls-to-action (CTAs), and content that directly addresses your visitors’ needs. Key strategies include:

Minimising page load times to reduce drop-offs.
Using social proof, like testimonials, to build trust and credibility.
Testing different CTAs, layouts, and visuals to find the most effective combinations.
Placing essential information and a prominent CTA at the top of the page ("above the fold") to capture attention immediately.

Understanding Conversion and High Converting Websites

What is a Conversion?

Building a high-converting website starts with understanding what a “conversion” truly means. A conversion happens whenever a visitor takes an action that you determine as being a priority - for example making a purchase, joining your newsletter, or submitting a contact form. Each type of conversion reflects a visitor’s engagement and interest, showing that your website is successfully connecting with its audience. The strength of your website is often measured by its conversion rate—the percentage of visitors who complete these actions. Knowing how conversions work and what drives them is essential for evaluating and boosting the success of your online presence and marketing efforts.

Importance of Conversion for Businesses

Conversions are super important, as they have a tell you how well your website is contributing to your business goals. A high conversion rate signals that your marketing efforts and website design are on point, resonating with your audience. For example, a 2% conversion rate means that for every 100 visitors, two take the desired action—whether that’s making a purchase, signing up, or getting in touch. Tracking this metric is invaluable for assessing the effectiveness of your online strategies and spotting opportunities for improvement. Plus, focusing on conversion optimisation doesn’t just boost sales—it also builds customer loyalty. When visitors have a positive experience, they’re more likely to return and recommend your business to others, setting the stage for sustained growth.

Key Elements of a High Converting Website

Effective Web Design Practices

Strong web design practices are essential for building a high-converting website. A clean, visually appealing layout captures visitors' attention and encourages them to explore further. Fast loading times—ideally under three seconds—are crucial, as research shows visitors are quick to leave slow sites. Responsive design is also key, ensuring your website looks and works great on any device, especially mobile, which makes up a large share of web traffic in 2024. Easy-to-navigate menus help visitors find what they need without frustration, increasing the chances they’ll take action. Finally, the thoughtful use of white space boosts readability and highlights important elements, enhancing the user experience and guiding visitors toward conversions.

Creating a Strong Value Proposition

A strong value proposition is essential for setting your product or service apart from the competition. It clearly communicates the unique benefits that resonate with your target audience, directly addressing their pain points and showing how your offering solves their challenges. Featuring a compelling value proposition prominently on your homepage and throughout your website reinforces your message, building trust and credibility with visitors. Crafting an effective value proposition requires deep insight into your target market, a close look at competitors, and a clear, engaging way of presenting your unique strengths. This clarity not only captures attention but also drives conversions, making a well-defined value proposition a core element of any high-converting website.

Utilizing Effective Landing Pages

Effective landing pages are purpose-built for conversion, playing a vital role in your website’s conversion funnel. Each landing page should have a clear, concise message that matches the traffic source—whether it’s an ad, an email, or a search engine result—so visitors instantly feel they’re in the right place. Successful landing pages feature a strong headline, persuasive copy, and a clear, attention-grabbing call-to-action (CTA) button. To keep visitors focused, it’s best to limit navigation options and use visuals that guide them toward the intended action. Running A/B tests on different versions of your landing pages can reveal which elements resonate most with your audience, helping you continuously improve conversion rates. Every element should work together seamlessly to encourage visitors to take that next step, be it signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or any other desired action.

Optimizing Your Website for Conversion

Strategies to Improve Conversion Rates

Boosting conversion rates can be achieved through a range of strategies. First, website speed is critical—studies show that even a one-second delay can reduce conversions noticeably. A seamless user experience is also key; intuitive navigation and clear calls-to-action (CTAs) help guide visitors smoothly toward desired actions. Adding social proof, like customer testimonials and reviews, builds trust and credibility, making visitors more likely to convert. A/B testing various page elements—such as headlines, images, and CTAs—can reveal what resonates most with your audience, allowing for ongoing optimisation. Finally, prioritising mobile-friendliness is essential, as a significant share of web traffic now comes from mobile devices, making it vital for 2024 and beyond.

Calls-to-Action: Best Practices

Calls-to-action (CTAs) are essential for guiding visitors toward conversions, and following best practices can maximise their impact. To start, make sure your CTAs stand out visually—using contrasting colours helps them pop against the rest of the page. Action-oriented language is also important; phrases like “Get Your Free Quote” are far more enticing than a simple “Submit.” Positioning CTAs strategically throughout your site—where visitors’ attention naturally falls—can increase engagement and click-through rates significantly. Testing different versions of your CTAs can reveal which wording, colours, or placements work best, allowing you to continually refine your approach and boost your website’s conversion potential.

Examples of A High Converting Website Layout

543's Own Tried And Tested High Converting Layout

After a huge amount of experimentation, the team at 543 settled on a layout that saw our conversions increase five fold. There were a few basic principles we ended up following:

The page is very subject specific. We tailored for adverts about a specific topic, so didn't need to put as much emphasis on things like SEO and other services we offer so could speak directly to the client about what they needed when they came to the page.
There is no navigation menu. Because we know exactly what the customer came to the page for, we can give them all that information on this page.
We have included a smiling person, an example of our work and plenty of social proof all on the first load of the page ('above the fold'). That above the fold area also has direct language solving the client's problem quickly, and a bright call to action that takes them straight to the point of conversion.
Further down the page we continue to answer the client's questions, add more social proof and provide regular call to actions to allow for a conversion anywhere on the page.

You can see this professional website design landing page at this link .

Analysis & Learnings of Our Successful Landing Page

Analysing landing page performance is key to understanding what makes a website effective at converting visitors. The best landing pages are designed with a single focus, capturing attention and directing visitors toward a specific action with minimal distractions. Our insights show that a strong headline and persuasive copy are essential for engagement, while responsive design ensures an optimal experience across all devices. Regular A/B testing has helped us pinpoint which elements resonate most with our audience, allowing for continuous improvement. Each data-driven adjustment contributes to higher conversion rates, underscoring the importance of ongoing evaluation and adaptation in successful web design. In a nutshell - try something, test it and test it again.

Tools and Resources for Building & Monitoring Your Website

Web Design Tools to Create High Converting Websites

Building a high-converting website in 2024 requires the right mix of tools and resources. Platforms like 543's DIY editor , Duda , Wix , and Squarespace offer intuitive, user-friendly interfaces with customisable templates that suit a range of business needs, making it easy to create a functional and attractive website. For visual appeal, design apps like Canva and Adobe Express allow users to craft engaging graphics that enhance a site’s overall look and feel. To fine-tune user experience, tools such as Hotjar and Crazy Egg provide heatmaps and session recordings, offering insights into visitor behaviour that enable data-driven adjustments to improve design and boost conversion rates.

Keeping Track Of Conversion Rates

Monitoring and analysing conversion rates is crucial for understanding how well your website turns visitors into customers. Tools like Google Analytics provide valuable insights by tracking user behaviour, traffic sources, and conversion metrics. By setting specific goals within Google Analytics, businesses can monitor key actions like newsletter sign-ups or purchases to see what’s working. Additionally, A/B testing tools such as Optimizely and VWO allow you to test different site elements, helping identify the variations that drive the most conversions. Regularly reviewing these insights helps businesses spot trends, identify areas for improvement, and evaluate marketing success—ultimately leading to a more effective, high-converting website.

Ask A Professional

When building and optimising a high-converting website, connecting with a professional - like the team at 543 - can provide invaluable expertise and insights. At 543, our web designers and digital marketing specialists understand the nuances of effective website design, user experience, and conversion strategies. We’ll evaluate your current site to identify areas for improvement and offer tailored solutions that align with your business goals. Our team also ensures that your website reflects a cohesive brand identity and delivers a strong value proposition, helping to drive higher conversion rates. By staying on top of the latest trends and tools, 543 keeps your site competitive in today’s fast-changing digital landscape. Partnering with us makes building a website that converts visitors into loyal customers simpler and more effective.

How Do I Design My Own Website? Step-By-Step Guide 🖥️

jamie@543.co.nz (Jamie Twigg) — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 04:16:07 GMT

How Do I Design My Own Website?

Unlocking the Secrets of DIY Web Design

Designing your website from scratch can seem like a daunting task, but with the right guidance, it can be a rewarding and fun experience. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur in New Zealand or a small business owner looking to expand your digital presence, this comprehensive step-by-step guide is for you!

How Do I Design My Own Website ?

7 Simple Steps To Get You Online

Plan what you need.
Choose the right website platform.
Pick a template & customise it.
Create your pages and navigation structure.
Add engaging content.
Optimize for SEO & your users.
Purchase a domain name & publish your website.

Quicklink Table Of Contents

Understanding Your Website's Purpose

Understanding the purpose of your website is crucial. It's the foundation upon which all design and content decisions are built. Start by defining clear objectives: Are you aiming to sell products, provide information, or collect leads? Your goals should align with the needs and expectations of your target audience. A website focused on e-commerce , for instance, will prioritize features like product catalogues and secure checkout systems, while a site dedicated to blogging might emphasize content quality and readability. Clarity in your website’s purpose ensures that every element, from layout to functionality, contributes towards achieving your specific goals.

Identify The Goals Of Your Website

Identifying the goals of your website is a critical step in creating the best website possible.

Define the Primary Objective: Determine the main purpose of your website. It could be to increase sales, generate leads, provide information, or build brand awareness. This primary goal will guide the overall strategy of your site. If you want to sell products, then those products need to be front and centre.
Target Audience Alignment: Understand who your audience is and what they seek from your site. Think about your website visitors and what they want to find on one of your website pages.
Set Measurable Targets: Establish specific, measurable targets related to your goals. This could include metrics like a certain number of sales per month, a set level of web traffic, or a specific engagement rate on content.
Functionality and Features: Every website will have different requirements, so it's important to understand what you need on yours. An e-commerce site might require a secure payment gateway, while a content-focused site may need an intuitive blog interface and search functionality.
Long-term Vision: Consider the long-term aspirations for your website. Are you looking to expand your product range, grow a subscriber base, or become a thought leader in your industry? This vision will help in planning for scalability and future developments.

By carefully identifying and articulating the goals of your website, you lay a solid foundation for its design, functionality, and content strategy, ensuring that every decision made contributes towards achieving these objectives.

A Website Designed For Your Users

Understanding what your users are after is essential for creating a website that resonates with and meets the expectations of your target audience. This process involves several steps:

Identify Your Audience: Understand who your users are. Demographics, interests, and online behaviours are key factors in tailoring your website to meet their needs.
Gather Feedback: Use surveys, interviews, or focus groups to get direct feedback from potential or current users. This can provide valuable insights into what they expect from your website.
Analyze User Behavior: Tools like Google Analytics can help you understand how users interact with your website. Look for patterns in page visits, bounce rates, and conversion paths to identify what works and what doesn’t.
Competitor Analysis: Evaluate competitors’ websites. Understanding what they offer can highlight what users in your niche appreciate and what might be missing from your own site.
Accessibility and Usability: Make your website more accessible and user-friendly. Consider factors like loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and easy navigation. Test your website regularly and think about users who may struggle to view or click small objects on the web page.
Regular Updates Based on Feedback: User needs can evolve. Regularly updating your website based on ongoing feedback and analytics ensures it remains relevant and effective.

By thinking about your ideal customer, you can design a website that not only attracts your target audience but also provides them with a satisfying and effective user experience.

Functionality You Want Your Website To Have

Creating a functionality wishlist for your website involves outlining the key features and capabilities it must have to meet both your goals and user needs:

Responsive Design: Ensuring your site is mobile-friendly and looks great on all devices is non-negotiable in today's digital landscape.
User-Friendly Navigation: A clear, intuitive website navigation structure helps users find information quickly and easily.
Fast Load Times: Optimize your site for speed to improve user experience and SEO.
Search Functionality: Particularly for content-rich or product-heavy sites, a robust search feature helps users find what they need without hassle.
Contact Forms and Live Chat: Essential for user engagement and support, enabling direct communication with visitors.
Social Media Integration: Allows for easy sharing of content and increases your site’s reach.
Online Store Capabilities: If selling products, include features like a shopping cart, payment gateways, and secure checkout processes.
SEO Tools and Analytics: Necessary for tracking performance and optimizing your site for search engines.
Content Management System (CMS): A user-friendly CMS is crucial for regularly updating site content without needing technical expertise.
Security Features: Implement SSL, backups, and other security measures to protect your site and user data.

Your functionality wishlist should be a mix of technical features and user-centric elements, ensuring your website is not only high-performing and secure but also delivers a seamless and engaging experience for visitors.

Picking the Perfect Website Builder

Choosing the right platform for your website is a pivotal decision that shapes its functionality, usability, and future scalability. This choice largely depends on your technical skill level and the specific needs of your website. From simple, drag-and-drop builders ideal for beginners to advanced frameworks requiring coding expertise, the spectrum of options caters to various skill sets and objectives. Here, we’ll guide you through selecting the perfect platform based on your proficiency - whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user.

Beginners: Websites Without Coding

For beginners venturing into the world of website creation, simplicity and ease of use are key. Using a website builder like one of the options below makes getting online low cost, easy and fast:

543 DIY Website Builder : 543's free website builder lets you design a website from scratch with ease. It's a drag-and-drop website builder that lets you create your website in minutes and includes all the security and platform updates with its low-cost web hosting. The website platform focuses on speed - automatically optimising images and content to better perform in search engine results.
Wix : Wix is renowned for its user-friendly interface. It offers a drag-and-drop builder, making it effortless to design a website without any coding knowledge. With a wide array of templates and a flexible design editor, it's ideal for those seeking creative control without complexity.
Squarespace : Squarespace is another excellent option for beginners. It stands out for its sleek, professionally designed templates which are perfect for artists, bloggers, and small businesses.
WordPress.com : For those interested in blogging or content creation, WordPress.com offers a user-friendly environment with a focus on content management. It provides numerous themes and essential plugins, enabling beginners to create a functional and attractive site with ease. It's slightly trickier to use than the first three listed above, but you may have specific requirements which would make it a good option.

These all-in-one website builder s not only cater to beginners in terms of ease of use but also offer a range of features to create a professional-looking website . They handle the technical aspects like hosting and security, allowing you to focus on content and design, and typically you'll be able to make a website for free in the first place.

Intermediate Users: Build Your Website Your Way

Intermediate users, with some experience in website creation, often seek a balance between ease of use and the ability to customize your website. The following platforms are ideal for those who have outgrown beginner tools but are not quite ready for advanced coding:

WordPress.org : Unlike WordPress.com, WordPress.org offers full control over customization. It's a self-hosted solution, giving you freedom over plugins, themes, and modifications. While it requires a bit more technical know-how, especially for hosting and maintenance, it provides immense flexibility.
Joomla : Joomla is a powerful CMS that offers more advanced features than typical beginner platforms. It's suitable for those looking to create complex websites with unique functionalities. Joomla has a steeper learning curve but is ideal for users ready to delve deeper into website customization.
Drupal : Drupal is another excellent choice for intermediate users. It’s particularly well-suited for creating large, complex sites and is known for its robust security features. Drupal requires some technical expertise, but it's highly customizable and scalable.
Shopify : If you're focused on e-commerce, Shopify is a step up from basic website builders. It provides advanced e-commerce features with a user-friendly interface, ideal for those looking to grow an online business with more customization options.

These platforms offer greater control over your website's look, feel, and functionality, making them perfect for users who are ready to take their web design skills to the next level. They allow for more sophisticated websites, greater scalability, and the ability to fine-tune aspects like SEO, performance, and design.

Advanced Users: Website Development For Pros

For advanced users, who possess a solid understanding of web development and coding, the priority shifts towards platforms that offer maximum customization and control. Here are the top choices for those who demand the highest level of flexibility and functionality:

Custom-Coded Websites: Building a website from scratch using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and server-side languages like PHP or Python allows for unparalleled customization. This approach is best suited for those who have specific, unique requirements that cannot be met by standard platforms.
React, Angular, or Vue.js: These modern JavaScript frameworks are ideal for creating dynamic, high-performance web applications. They offer more control over the user experience and are particularly well-suited for developing complex, interactive websites.
Ruby on Rails: Known for its efficiency in building powerful web applications, Ruby on Rails is a great choice for advanced developers looking to create scalable, database-backed websites with a focus on simplicity and productivity.
Content Management Frameworks (CMF): Advanced users might opt for a CMF like Django (Python) or Laravel (PHP). These frameworks provide more flexibility than typical CMSs and are ideal for building complex, feature-rich websites.

For advanced users, these platforms and frameworks provide the tools necessary to push the boundaries of web design and functionality. They cater to those who seek full control over every aspect of their website, from the front-end design to the back-end database management, ensuring that even the most sophisticated and unique web development needs can be met.

Effective Website Design: Style and Simplicity

Designing with style and simplicity is about striking the perfect balance between aesthetic appeal and user-friendly functionality. It's not necessarily about hitting the latest web design trends, but rather about giving your users the best experience possible. This section will delve into key elements of design - from the crucial aspects of a homepage to the nuances of product/service pages and the layout of a blog section. We'll explore how to create a visually stunning yet straightforward and accessible website that follows design best practices.

Homepage E ssentials

The homepage is often the first point of contact between your website and your audience, making its design and functionality crucial. Here are the essentials for creating an effective homepage:

Clear Value Proposition: Your homepage should immediately convey what your business offers and its unique value. This could be through a compelling headline, a brief description, or both.
Engaging Visuals: High-quality images or videos that represent your brand and appeal to your target audience can significantly increase engagement.
Intuitive Navigation: A well-structured menu and clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons guide visitors effortlessly to the most important sections of your site.
Responsive Design: Ensure your homepage looks great and functions seamlessly on all devices, especially mobiles and tablets.
Loading Speed: Optimize images and scripts to ensure your homepage loads quickly, as slow loading times can lead to higher bounce rates.
Contact Information: Make it easy for visitors to find contact details or a contact form. This builds trust and encourages communication.
Social Proof: Testimonials, client logos, or user reviews can be featured to build credibility and trust among new visitors.
SEO Optimization: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally in your content, meta tags, and alt text for images to aid in search engine ranking.

A well-designed homepage not only captivates visitors but also guides them deeper into your website, increasing the chances of conversion. It should reflect your brand's style and ethos while being user-centric in its approach.

Product/Service Pages

Product and service pages are where visitors make the decision to engage with what you offer. These pages should be informative, engaging, and designed to convert interest into action.

Detailed Descriptions: Each product or service should have a clear, concise description. Highlight features, benefits, and any unique selling points. Use bullet points for easy scanning.
High-Quality Images and Videos: Include multiple high-resolution images or videos showcasing the product or service. This helps customers get a better understanding and feel more confident in their choices.
Clear Pricing Information: Display prices prominently. If your pricing is variable or negotiable, provide a starting point or a way to request a quote.
Easy Navigation: Ensure that visitors can easily find and navigate between different products or services. Breadcrumbs, filters, and search functions can enhance user experience.
Call to Action (CTA): Each page should have a clear CTA, like 'Buy Now', 'Get a Quote', or 'Contact Us for More Information'. This guides users towards the next step in their customer journey.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Displaying reviews or testimonials builds trust and credibility. It also provides real-life context for how your products or services are used.
Related Products or Services: Suggest complementary or related items to encourage further exploration and cross-selling.
SEO Optimization: Use relevant keywords in titles, headers, and meta descriptions to improve search engine visibility.

Effective product/service pages balance detailed information with a clean, easy-to-navigate design, encouraging visitors to make informed decisions and take action.

Blog Section

The blog section of your website is a vital tool for engagement, providing valuable content to your audience while enhancing your SEO efforts. Here’s how to optimize your blog for both readers and search engines:

Consistent, Quality Content: Regularly post well-researched, informative articles relevant to your industry. Quality content establishes your expertise and encourages visitors to return.
Engaging Headlines and Layouts: Use compelling headlines to capture interest. Format your posts with subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to improve readability.
Visual Elements: Incorporate images, infographics, or videos to break up text and enhance understanding of the content.
User Interaction: Encourage comments and discussions to increase engagement. Responding to comments can build a community and foster loyalty.
Social Sharing Buttons: Make it easy for readers to share your content on social media, expanding its reach.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Include relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and tags to improve your blog's visibility in search results.
Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages and posts on your website to encourage visitors to explore further.
Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your blog is easily readable on all devices, particularly smartphones.
Content Calendar: Plan your content in advance with a calendar to maintain a consistent posting schedule.

A well-maintained blog not only serves as a resource for your audience but also plays a key role in driving traffic to your site, improving SEO, and establishing your brand’s authority in your field.

Search Engine Optimisation: The Unseen Backbone Of Top Web Design

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization , is the unseen backbone of your website’s online presence. It's the art and science of enhancing your website to improve its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business in search engines like Google. A well-optimized website garners more traffic and, in turn, has the potential to convert that traffic into customers. In this section, we'll dive into the critical elements of SEO : from conducting effective keyword research and mastering on-page optimization to developing a strategic content approach. Understanding and implementing these SEO practices is essential for any website looking to stand out in the digital landscape.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is a fundamental aspect of SEO, serving as the foundation for your content strategy and optimization efforts. It involves identifying the terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for products, services, or information in your niche. Here’s how to conduct effective keyword research:

Understand Your Audience: Know the language and terms your audience uses. Consider their search intent - are they looking to buy, to learn, or to solve a problem?
Use Keyword Research Tools: Leverage tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. These tools provide insights into search volumes, competition, and related keywords.
Analyze Competitors: Look at what keywords your competitors are ranking for. This can give you ideas for keywords that are proven to drive traffic in your industry.
Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on long-tail keywords – these are longer, more specific phrases that tend to have lower competition and higher conversion rates.
Consider Searcher Intent: Align keywords with user intent. Whether they are informational (looking for information), navigational (searching for a specific website), or transactional (ready to buy), the keywords should match the users’ needs.
Regular Updates: Keyword trends can change over time. Regularly update and refine your keyword list to keep up with evolving search patterns.

By strategically selecting and targeting the right keywords, you can improve your website’s visibility in search engine results, attract a more relevant audience, and enhance your overall online marketing efforts.

On-Page Optimisation

On-page optimization is a critical component of SEO, focusing on enhancing elements within your website to improve its ranking in search engine results. Here are key strategies for effective on-page optimization:

Optimized Titles and Meta Descriptions: Craft unique and descriptive titles and meta descriptions for each page, incorporating target keywords. These are crucial for search engines and influence click-through rates from search results.
High-Quality Content: Publish relevant, informative, and original content that adds value for your audience. Ensure it naturally includes your target keywords.
Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure content. This not only improves readability for users but also helps search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.
URL Structure: Ensure URLs are clean, concise, and descriptive. Include keywords where appropriate.
Image Optimization: Use relevant images and optimize them with descriptive file names and alt tags. This improves user experience and accessibility, while also providing context to search engines.
Internal Linking: Link to other pages on your website where relevant. This helps with site navigation and spreads link equity across your pages.
Mobile Responsiveness: With the increasing use of mobile devices, ensure your website is mobile-friendly. This is a key ranking factor for search engines.
Loading Speed: Optimize your site’s loading speed by compressing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing code. Faster sites provide a better user experience and are favoured by search engines.
Schema Markup: Implement schema markup to provide search engines with more information about your content, which can enhance how your page is displayed in search results (e.g., rich snippets).

By focusing on these on-page elements, you not only make your website more appealing to search engines but also improve the overall experience for your visitors.

Content Strategy

A well-crafted content strategy is pivotal for SEO success , directly impacting how you attract, engage, and retain your audience. It involves planning, creating, distributing, and managing content to achieve specific business and marketing goals. Here's how to develop an effective content strategy :

Set Clear Objectives: Define what you want to achieve with your content. This could be increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, generating leads, or improving conversions.
Understand Your Audience: Know who your content is for. Create buyer personas to tailor your content to meet the needs, challenges, and interests of your target audience.
Keyword Research Integration: Utilize your keyword research to guide content topics, ensuring your content is discoverable and relevant to what your audience is searching for.
Content Variety: Mix different types of content – blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, etc. – to engage different segments of your audience.
Quality and Value: Focus on creating high-quality content that provides value. This could be educational, informative, entertaining, or a combination.
Consistency: Maintain a regular publishing schedule. Consistency is key in building and retaining an audience, as well as in boosting SEO.
Content Promotion: Use multiple channels – social media, email newsletters, guest blogging – to promote your content and reach a wider audience.
Performance Analysis: Regularly analyze your content’s performance using analytics tools. Track metrics like page views, shares, and time on page to understand what works and refine your strategy accordingly.
SEO Best Practices : Incorporate SEO best practices, like using keywords naturally, optimizing images, and creating engaging meta descriptions.

A strategic approach to content not only enhances your SEO efforts but also establishes your brand as an authority in your field, building trust with your audience.

The Final Touch: Professional Web Design Advice

As you near the completion of your website, considering hiring a web designer or getting professional advice can be the final touch that elevates your site from good to great. Even with the most user-friendly website-building tools at your disposal, the expertise of seasoned professionals can provide valuable insights that are often overlooked.

Consult a Professional Website Designer

Expert Eye for Design: A professional web designer can offer a fresh perspective, identifying areas for improvement in the layout, colour scheme, typography, and overall aesthetics.
Custom Solutions: They can provide custom design solutions tailored to your specific needs, ensuring your website stands out in a crowded digital landscape.
Technical Expertise: Web designers are well-versed in the latest design trends and technologies. They can enhance your site's functionality, making it not only visually appealing but also technically sound.

Consider a Digital Marketing Specialist

Strategic Marketing: A digital marketing specialist can help you devise a comprehensive marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals and targets the right audience.
SEO and Analytics: They can fine-tune your SEO strategy and utilize analytics to track performance, making data-driven decisions to boost your online presence.
Content and Social Media: Specialists in this field can also guide you in crafting compelling content and managing social media platforms to engage with your audience effectively.

Incorporating professional advice can significantly enhance the quality of your website, ensuring it not only looks good but also performs well in terms of user engagement and search engine rankings. This investment can be the key differentiator in the success of your digital presence.

Designing A Website : Your First Step To Performing Online

Embarking on the journey of creating or revamping a website doesn't need to be daunting. Figure out what you want from your site, pick the best website builder to achieve that, design with style and simplicity, and implement robust SEO strategies. Each of these steps will not only help increase traffic to your website , but it should mean every page on your site gets your users closer to what they need.

By staying informed, adapting to new trends, and perhaps seeking professional advice, you can ensure that your website remains relevant, effective, and successful in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Your digital journey begins now, and with the right approach, you can step away with the best web design possible.

7 Principles Of Good Web Design To Build A Better Website

jamie@543.co.nz (Jamie Twigg) — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 21:16:09 GMT

543's Online Experts Give Their Top Tips for Good Web Design

1: Keep Your User Experience Simple

Simplicity is the key to a great user experience. A clean, clutter-free design makes it easy for users to find what they're looking for. This means using clear headings, readable fonts, and intuitive navigation. The simpler your website, the better the user experience. The accessibility of your website is becoming increasingly important. You should always try to make sure your chosen colours have a high contrast and think about how someone with poor eyesight or dyslexia might view your page. If in doubt, grab a plugin that will help convert those pages to be more legible for those users. A few easy things to implement are:

Adding alt tags in images in case people need to have a site read out to them
Go for a conventional navigation structure - it's what people are used to
Make it super easy for a customer to contact you

2: The Customer Should Always Come First

Your website should be designed with your audience in mind. That means taking a step back from your business to think about it from your customer's perspective. Think about what they want to find on your site as well as what you want them to find. Create your content to answer their burning questions and if necessary research your audience and test your design with real users to ensure it meets their expectations. Good user experience (UX) design will always put the customer first. A website should be easy to use and as a general rule you should:

Ask yourself if the customer can figure out who you are, what you do and how to contact you as soon as they land on your website.
Forget the fancy animations that take forever. It's better to have a quick-loading page than a ton of visual elements animated on your page.
Do some keyword research to see if clients are searching for the terms you actually think they are.

3: What's Good for Your Client is Good for SEO

A website that's easy to use and provides valuable content will naturally rank higher in search engines. SEO isn't just about keywords; it's about creating a user-friendly experience that keeps people coming back. As a rule of thumb, if you are optimizing your website content to better cater for your ideal customer, it's highly likely you'll be improving it for the search queries that are relevant for that customer as well. Admittedly, some technical and SEO page elements play a role in web design, but your content is a great place to start. Your customers and Google will both love a fast, responsive and well-written website that looks good! Some key things to remember are:

Keep the site fast. Make sure you don't have huge image files that slow it down.
Use good articles, blogs and FAQs to answer questions for your customers.
Make sure the meta-data (including the schema) is all up to date and relevant

4: Colour is Your Friend

Colour can be a powerful tool in web design. It can set the mood, draw attention, and guide users through your site. Use colour strategically to highlight important elements, create balance, and reflect your brand's identity. Don't be afraid to pair a bright colour with a darker, more neutral colour. The huge benefit to this is that you can make buttons and calls to action really stand out on the page. Colours like orange, red and pink all draw a user's eye very quickly, meaning they are more likely to lead to a click.

Be careful using bright colours in text - it can become unreadable. It's better to keep those bright colours for things like buttons or arrows to draw attention throughout your site.
Create a visually appealing website by using colour-matching tools. Try something like Canva's colour wheel to find colours that complement each other.
Don't be afraid of using white space. Using a large amount of white can make a pleasing website design and can draw attention to the important points you want to highlight.

5: Use Pictures, But Use Them Sensibly

Images can make or break your website's design. High-quality, relevant images can enhance user engagement, but too many images or poor-quality ones can detract from your message. Use images thoughtfully and always optimize them for the web. A lot of your key design decisions will be based on images and how they can make your website stand out. Unfortunately, images and videos mean extra loading time for your site, so you need to be very thoughtful about how you use them throughout the website. Make sure you reduce them to a width and file size that is appropriate.

Find an online tool to compress your images. You don't want them to lose too much quality, but as a general rule, they should be less than 1MB and no wider than 2000px when used on your site.
Taking it a step further consider using a website platform that automatically resizes your images for you. As an example, 543's DIY editor will automatically resize your image to fit your desktop, tablet and mobile website.

6: One Click Navigation to Conversion

The fewer clicks a user needs to take to convert, the better. Design your website so that the most important actions are easy to find and complete. This might mean placing your call-to-action buttons prominently or streamlining your checkout process. This is one of the fundamental principles that we try to follow at our website design agency. We also like to try to have the user get to where they need to go anywhere on the site within a couple of clicks. You'll be able to achieve this with a well thought out navigation structure, as well as a good knowledge of how your users will interact with your website.

Make sure that no matter where your customer is on the site they have a call to action button close at hand.
Think about testing how website visitors are actually interacting with the page using a tool like Hotjar .
Do a bit of planning before diving into the design and development of your site. Great design will come from knowing what your website needs before you get stuck in.

7: Your Logo Isn't What Sells Your Products and Services

While a logo is a crucial part of your brand identity, it's not what convinces users to buy. Focus on creating valuable content, showcasing your products effectively, and building trust with your audience. Your logo supports your brand, but your content and products are what truly matter. One of the biggest mistakes we see in site design is people making their logo HUGE. Typically, that means the logo takes up a big chunk of space at the top of the first loading screen 'above the fold' - meaning all the valuable content is pushed down the page. A well-designed website will usually have a very small logo, and the rest of that top header area is devoted to sales messaging and calls to action. Your customer is very unlikely to choose you because of your cool logo, however, they will make their choice on the messaging they read on the website.

Check out a range of well-known companies with big ad budgets and you'll see that their logos are very small on the site. They know the logo isn't the most important thing in their homepage design.

Try to have your client sold on your business on the first load of your page. It's well understood that most users don't scroll very far down your page, so the lower the messaging on your site, the less likely it will be that people read it.

How Do I Create a Website Following These Principles of Good Website Design?

Find a Template That Suits

There is no need to reinvent the wheel if you want to build a website yourself. Look at finding a website platform that allows you to easily edit and modify an existing template. Go for one that you think has the general layout you really like, then tweak the colour scheme, images and text content to suit your project. Starting with a well-designed template can make the entire responsive design process easier, giving you a solid starting point for both the desktop and mobile versions of your site. From there, just tick off the list above with every new design element on the page. Think about the usability of the site as well as the visual design and you'll be heading in the right direction.

Talk to a Pro About Your Website Design Requirements

If you'd like to get a professional web design company to build your site, think about having a conversation with them about their approach to some of these design trends and principles. A talented web designer can provide personalized advice and help you create a website that not only gets the look and feel that you want, but also hits some of these best practices. When they present you with an initial design concept, just keep some of the above web design principles in the back of your mind as you are evaluating it. They'll no doubt ask for your input, particularly with content creation, and that's the perfect time to bring what you've learned here into your website. If you're after a great New Zealand website designer to help out with your next website, then definitely don't hesitate to get in touch with 543 for a free, no-obligation quote .

FAQ About Design Guidelines

Introducing our AI Content Assistant

jamie@543.co.nz (Jamie Twigg) — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:21:02 GMT

Meet Your New Website Design Assistant!

At 543 Website Design, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new AI content assistant ! This cutting-edge technology will revolutionize the way we create content for our clients. Whether we're building a site for you or you're utilizing our DIY platform, our AI assistant will be there to assist you every step of the way. And the best part? It's included in our existing pricing! As a leading provider of affordable, premium website designs throughout New Zealand, we're committed to staying ahead of the curve and providing you with the most innovative solutions. Get ready to elevate your online presence with 543's AI content assistant!

How the AI Content Assistant works

Simply click to choose the AI assistant, provide a prompt or title, and watch as it generates compelling, tailor-made content for your website. Whether you need persuasive product descriptions, captivating About Us pages, or attention-grabbing headlines, our AI Content Assistant has got you covered. In fact - everything in this post was written by the content assistant - and all created within seconds! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions about the content assistant or how we can help build you your next website .

5 obvious signs your website needs a re-design.

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:06:58 GMT

Does your website need a re-design?

1) It's not mobile friendly
This one should almost go without saying. If your site doesn't scale well to mobile - you've got a gigantic problem. Our 543 website gets over 60% views on mobile devices these days, so making sure your site is easy to use on a phone is crucial. If it's not responsive or mobile friendly, you're going to lose customers AND lose search rankings. This isn't negotiable...if you're site isn't mobile friendly - contact us....now.

2) You can't edit it easily
Times have changed, and websites should be super easy to edit these days. If you're finding your backend clunky, struggle to use it, or your website designer hasn't given you easy access to it - you should think about giving the site a revamp. It's pretty important to keep your website design up to date, and to do that you should be able to make changes yourself. If you can't - make a change.

3) The competition has moved forward
Take a look at your competitors websites. Are they flashier? Do they appear higher in search results ? Could you see a customer choosing them over you because the website is easier to use or looks better? If so, then it's time to invest in revamping your site. Stay ahead of the game, keep up with your competition online and you should see an improvement in sales.

4) It's not generating sales, or it could generate more
When was the last time a sale came through your website? How many are you getting per month? Do you think there is more opportunity to grow your sales online? These are all really important questions for a company. We've had clients who changed their website and branding and had an instant uptick in conversions on their site. More of the people landing on their site starting contacting them and engaging their services. It's great for us to see, and a real reminder that you should always keep your site moving forward.

5) It's more than two years old
Having an older website isn't an absolute deal breaker, but after about two years time then it's likely technology and styling has probably moved forward. If you've had your site live for more than two years, it might be a good time to have a look around at the competition and give your website another critical look. Look at it from the point of view of the customer, and potentially get someone else to give you feedback.

REMEMBER: Just because YOU love it...doesn't mean everyone will
Our last piece of advice is never get an emotional attachment to your site! You should really love your site, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that it's perfect because it's yours. We've changed our site every few months and loved every version of it...but we've identified areas we can strengthen or change it up - and made those changes.

The bottom line is - keeping moving forward. We've tried to make our pricing low enough that a change in site every few years won't break the bank (what's $1,200 every 3 years to stay at the top of your game?). Your website can be a fantastic tool, it's easy to change, and a great place to start a rebrand , so why not get in touch with us today about an affordable website revamp .

Exploring the potential of AI-Powered Blog Writing

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 06:34:33 GMT

Letting AI write your blog

Recently, you may have seen headlines about OpenAI's ChatGPT software and how incredible its writing ability is. It's amazing technology, and we thought a great way to showcase it would be to show you just how believable this AI tech can be. Below is the article ChatGPT produced in a few seconds with the prompt "Write a blog article about how AI could be used to write blog articles." The image below was also produced using OpenAI's "DALL-E" with the prompt "A robot sitting in front of a computer typing a blog post.

"Blog writing is a task that requires creativity, attention to detail, and a knack for crafting engaging content. But what if this task could be performed by artificial intelligence (AI)? In recent years, advances in natural language processing (NLP) have made it possible for AI systems to generate human-like text, and this technology has the potential to revolutionize the world of blog writing.

One of the key benefits of using AI for blog writing is increased productivity. An AI system can quickly and efficiently generate content based on a set of instructions or guidelines, freeing up time for writers to focus on other tasks. This could be particularly useful for bloggers who need to produce a large volume of content on a regular basis.

Another potential advantage of using AI for blog writing is the ability to produce consistent, high-quality content. Since AI systems are not subject to the same biases, emotions, or inconsistencies that humans are, the content they generate can be more uniform and reliable. This could be particularly useful for bloggers who need to maintain a certain tone or style in their writing.

Of course, there are also some challenges and limitations to using AI for blog writing. One of the key challenges is ensuring that the content generated by an AI system is accurate, well-written, and engaging. This requires careful training and tuning of the AI system, as well as regular quality checks to ensure that the content meets the desired standards.

Another challenge is the potential for AI systems to produce content that is unoriginal or lacks creativity. While AI systems can generate text that is similar to human writing, they are not capable of the same level of originality and creativity as a human writer. This means that bloggers who want to use AI for their writing may need to supplement the content generated by the AI system with their own ideas and insights.

Despite these challenges, the potential for AI to assist with blog writing is undeniable. In the future, we may see AI systems that can not only generate high-quality content but also help bloggers with tasks such as keyword optimization, SEO, and social media promotion. As AI technology continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see even more creative and sophisticated applications of this technology in the world of blog writing.

In conclusion, the use of AI for blog writing has the potential to increase productivity, improve the consistency and quality of content, and free up writers to focus on other tasks. While there are challenges and limitations to this technology, the potential benefits make it worth exploring for bloggers who want to take their writing to the next level."

- Credit - OpenAI ChatGPT

543 pick: SE Ranking's Onpage SEO Checker

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 06:40:09 GMT

Give SERanking's On Page SEO Checker

We are a huge fan of SE Ranking and the suite of search engine optimisation tools that they offer and so when they recently announced the launch of their On Page SEO Checker tool, we were super excited to take a first look at it.

But what is On Page SEO?
Search Engine Optimisation is basically the techniques used to try to push your website towards the top of search engine rankings organically. There are a mixture of approaches that SEO professionals take, but the starting point for all of them is On Page SEO. Effectively, a search engine specialist (or your website designer) will assign keywords to the individual pages on your website, and then look to optimise the content for those pages for the relevant keywords. So, for example, if you were a florist and had a page for "Roses" - you would want to make sure that page was talking about roses in all the right places. You wouldn't want an important part of that page talking about 'Daffodils' (if you wanted to give the roses page the best chance of performing well in roses searches).

How do I know if my page is optimised?
Once you've figured out what pages you want targeted to what keywords, it's super important to gather some metrics on how well that particular page performs for the keyword you are targeting. An SEO professional could probably eye ball your page and get something of an understanding of how well optimised it is (i.e. 'it's got the right word in the title, and the right phrases scattered throughout the text'), but to get a real understanding of where the site sits you would want to run the site through an onpage search checklist or tool. That's where SE Ranking's On Page SEO Checker comes in handy.

What does the On Page SEO Checker do?
SE Ranking's tool basically takes all the technical elements that go into on-page optimisation and distils it down into an easily digestable report for you. It looks at whether the page is saying the right things in the right places throughout, whether the page has any technical, speed or 'health' issues, and it gives you a clear idea of how to best optimise the page. You'll be greeted with a 'page quality' score, setting out what areas are strong on the page, what are weak - and through the report you'll be able to make changes to the site to see that score improve. You'll also be able to get a gauge on how your top competitors have set their best pages up as well - so you can understand where they are performing well, and where you might be able to improve. It does all of that with you just entering the page url that you want to analyse.

Will this get me to the top of the search rankings?
When we look at any tool, we are looking at it's real value to our clients. In our opinion, on-site search engine optimisation is the most important thing you can be doing for your website to improve it's chance of ranking high with Google in particular. Search rank algorithms are constantly evolving and as they do, they are understanding the content and substance on websites more and more clearly. The better optimised you have your pages to keywords and phrases in your industry, the more likely search engines will push your site to the top of the rankings, and the more traffic you should start to receive on your site. There are no silver bullets when it comes to search engine rankings - but knowledge is power, and SE Ranking has given us a fantastic tool for broadening the understanding we have of our sites.

543 uses SE Ranking for the SEO scanning and reporting we do for our clients. Feel free to click the link below to check out the tool for yourself, or get in touch with us if you'd like an experienced SEO specialist to help with your search presence.

The Basics: Google Advertising

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 06:44:36 GMT

Getting on top with paid Google advertising

A great website can be an amazing sales tool if you get your potential customers onto it. The early dilemma for any new business though is how to get those eyeballs onto the website.

When you put your new website live, it's unlikely that you'll appear high in natural search results for a number of months. We've covered this off in our Basics of Search Engine Optimisation article earlier, but Google needs to find your site, crawl it and then decide it's worth putting ahead of every other site in your topic area when it first goes live. That leaves a period where the quickest way to get clicks through Google is going to be through Google advertising, so it's important to get a basic overview of what Google Ads are, and how they may work for you and your website.

What are Google Ads?
Google Ads are advertising slots that let you 'pay-per-click' through to your website. Google Ads are seen within search results (typically at the very top of the page and the very bottom of the page), as well as through the "Google Display Network". This Display Network includes YouTube and other sites that have signed up with Google to allow ads to be shown on their site. This means that depending how you set your ad up, you can have it shown right across the internet to a range of users.

How do Google Ads work?
The simplest way to think about the Google Ads system is to think about it as an auction. Every time someone searches for a particular keyword (or goes to a particularly themed site in the case of Display Network Ads), every company that is paying for Google Ads in that topic area automatically "asks" for it's ad to be shown. Google then looks at the text of the ad, the website the ad links to, the term being searched and the budget, then accepts a 'bid' to show the advert in the ad slot. In theory, this means that the most relevant ad with the highest bid is shown - meaning it's a really great way to get in front of the exact audience you want to be advertising to.

Can I run Google Ads myself?
In short - absolutely - but with anything 'DIY" you may not get the most out of your ad spend if you don't know what you are doing. Some of Google Ads' tools can be very technical, so if you are pushed for time and aren't able to delve really deep into how the system works, you run the risk of your ads being shown in irrelevant search results, or to users who ultimately aren't a great match for your products or services. Google's solution for small businesses that do want to run ads themselves is " Smart Campaigns ". With a Smart Campaign you'll be able to provide Google with basic information about your business (location, general subject area etc), write up some ad text, and then press play. From here, Google's AI will automatically decide what search terms or Display Network locations to run the ads in with very little input from you. It's a good way to test the waters, but we would recommend you regularly check the keyword list the Smart Campaign is running off and exclude any irrelevant keywords. The Smart Campaigns can definitely end up running your ads in places that don't make too much sense, and you run the risk of paying for alot of Display Network ads showing (rather than the more effective ads shown directly into search results). Smart Campaigns definitely aren't the 'best' way to use Google Ads, but they are an option if you want to go for a DIY option without getting to heavily into learning the Google Ads system.

What if I want to get technical?
If you are technically minded and love to get down into the details, then there are tons of fantastic resources for learning how to run top notch Google Ads campaigns. Google itself has free Ads courses you are able to do in your own time and you'll find lots of paid courses you can hook into that will start delving into things like keyword research, ad creation and ad optimisation. The courses tend to have varying degrees of difficulty, so you are able to find something that suits how deep you want to learn the AdWords systems.

Should I use Google Ads and when should I use them?
This is one question we end up getting asked alot by our clients. It's very tempting to think of Google search as a free tool that you should be able to perform well in without paying anything to Google for. That of course is true, and a well optimised website will do well in search results, however, Google Ads offer a hugely affordable form of marketing that is really targeted to your industry, so there are a few scenarios we think they are especially useful:

When a new website is first live and you are wanting to get sales out of it. Because it takes a while (3 months - 1 year realistically) for your website to gain any real traction in natural search results, it pays to run Google Ads in that first period of a site being live. It's the shortcut to the top of search results and one of the easiest ways to get early traffic to your site.
When your site is established , but you want to increase it's exposure. If you have a site performing well in a few keywords on Google but want to hit a wider audience, Google Ads is a great way to cover all your bases.
When you have budget and want to stop competitors from taking the top spot. Even if you have the top organic search result, if your competitor is running Google Ads, they will be sneaking ahead of your organic ranking with their Google Ad some of the time.

We personally think there is huge merit in running Google Ads along side any natural/organic search engine optimisation work you may be doing - particularly if you have a great website to send people to. Ultimately, it comes down to budget though. If you have budget you'd like to put towards some form of advertising, Google Ads should definitely enter your thought process as a possible option.

The big take away
Knowledge is power when it comes to anything online, so the more you understand how a tool works, the better decisions you'll be able to make about it. For Google Ads - anyone can create and run a campaign, but how effectively that campaign runs will come down to how well it is setup, and how well it is monitored/optimised over time.

Setup and targeted well, a Google Ads campaign can be hugely beneficial - but a poorly setup campaign can mean potential sales 'left on the table'. Using Google Ads is definitely something we recommend you consider, but ultimately what works best for your company will come down to your industry, who your clients/customers are, and how your budget might most effectively be spent.

As always, if you have any questions about anything in this blog post, or if we can help you out with your Google Advertising , don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Google My Business - your holiday helper

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 07:01:30 GMT

How to update business hours on Google My Business for the Christmas Holidays

With the Christmas holidays and possible office shutdowns just around the corner, it's very easy to go into wind-down mode early and let things slip through the break. Luckily, your website and online presence give you an easy opportunity to keep customers informed and business ticking away with very little effort on your end.

In particular, Google My Business (GMB) has a couple of great features that are worth taking advantage of as we head into the silly season. It’s always a good idea to make sure your customers have accurate details and correct information on your business hours during the upcoming holidays. The last thing you want is people coming to your office during holiday hours when it's closed. Let’s help you set these GMB special hours properly, so you make sure those situations don't happen.

Special hours - keep your customers in the loop
Whether you are a retail shop opening for a longer stint in the lead up to Christmas, or a professional services firm taking some time off, Google My Business lets you quickly and temporarily change your opening hours over the Christmas Period. Just follow the below steps to make sure your listing on Google immediately lets your clients know whether your free this summer break:

Login to Google My Business
Navigate to the location you want to change the hours of (if you haven't created a Google My Business account yet - you'll need to sign up)
In the left hand panel click "Info"
Find the "Special hours" section and click the pen icon to edit those hours
Change, add and remove hours for those days as needed

It's a simple change, but one that will save you a string of messages and phone calls asking "are you open this week?".

Promote a special or give an update
While most businesses are comfortable posting on Facebook these days, a much smaller percentage actively use the Google My Business 'Post' section. Found in the Google My Business left hand panel, this "Post" feature let's you promote a special offer, an event, what's new or even a product. The posts are temporary, but they'll pop up under your GMB listing so are a great way to share some Christmas love or push your holiday deals out into the search results.

Make it visual - the power of photos
Our last little GMB tip would be to really make use of the "Photos" section of your Google My Business profile. Using up to date photos and videos can give an easy point of connection to your customers in the search rankings. Swap in a festive image or two and immediately your brand looks current should anyone come across your GMB profile.

We're all hugely excited about soaking up the sun this summer and spending some quality time with family and friends. Leveraging off your online presence and website by making a few planned changes early in December should make for a nice and relaxing but profitable Christmas period for all.

So how do I change my hours on Google?

Updating your Google special hours for the upcoming Christmas holidays can be done in a few easy steps. Whether you are a retail shop opening for a longer stint in the lead up to Christmas, or a professional services firm taking some time off, Google My Business lets you quickly and temporarily change your opening hours over the Christmas period. Updating your Google special hours for the upcoming Christmas holidays can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: Log in to your Google My Business profile

You will be redirected to your GMB dashboard after you log in

Step 2: Switch your tab to the “Info” tab

Step 3: Scroll down to the “Special Hours” (it is below “More Hours”) and click the pen icon

Step 4: Choose the holiday on the list that you want to update your business hours for, change your special hours and click Apply

It's a simple change, but one that will save you a string of messages and phone calls asking "Are you open this week?", "When does your business open?", or "When are you closing?". With your holiday hours correctly updated, your customers can find all information regarding your opening hours and closing times on Google Maps with one simple click. This easy trick can help businesses such as restaurants, dental clinics, law firms or local service providers to add special hours in just a few minutes and provide their customers with reliable and accurate information that will save them from any inconveniences.

Create a custom GMB Christmas Post

Updating special hours on Google for the upcoming Christmas Day and other holidays is not the only thing that can improve your GMB performance this winter. While most businesses are comfortable posting on Facebook these days, a much smaller percentage actively use the Google My Business 'Post' section. Found in the Google My Business left-hand panel, this "Post" feature is a very powerful tool that can help you share the latest news, or a creative custom made Christmas post that will delight your viewers.

The posts are temporary, but they'll pop up under your GMB listing, which is a great way to share some Christmas love. Crafting a custom Christmas post can also be a great way to engage with your customers. Share a photo of your decorated Christmas tree, a photo of your Christmas spirit in the office, or what your staff is up to over the holiday break. There is no reason not to share a bit of Christmas spirit with the people that are a part of your life!

Create a Christmas Special Offer

Is there a better way to celebrate Christmas than to share a special discount offer for your customers? It’s an amazing way to get them engaged while helping them save some money during this holiday season. How hard is it to create a special Christmas offer on your GMB profile?

How do I create a Christmas offer on Google My Business?

You should go to the “Posts” tab on the left-hand panel, and then choose “Offer” in the “Create post” menu.

In the Offer Menu, you can add the information that you want to share.

Make the most of GMB this Christmas

Hopefully these few simple tricks help set you up for an enjoyable and profitable Christmas season. If you want any further help on this front, or just want to chat through any other local SEO services or GMB optimisation , don't hesitate to contact the team at 543.

543 Design gets listed with Design Rush

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 06:48:35 GMT

Best Small Business Website Design Company - 543 Design

Here at 543 we aim to give small businesses the online presence that in the past only bigger companies have been able to have. From day one our ethos has been to provide every one of our clients with a stunning, effective website that doesn't break the bank. By carefully choosing how we build sites, and bringing a lower priced approach to our overheads, we've managed to give hundreds of clients affordably priced websites that they love.

For us, a happy client is the ultimate reward, but it's also pretty fantastic to receive recognition within the design community as well. With that in mind, it was awesome to recently be tapped on the shoulder by DesignRush to be included as a top small business website design companies on their site. It's a small accolade for us, but a timely reminder for us to continue to put our clients at the forefront and continue to focus on affordability, quality and genuine customer service.

If you'd like to read more on DesignRush , just head to their website - you'll also find us listed in their design agencies database.

Keeping it speedy with Core Web Vitals

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 07:15:24 GMT

What are Google's Core Web Vitals impact on SEO - and what do they mean for your website?

Earlier this year Google began rolling out an update to it's algorithm with a focus on "Core Web Vitals" as a centrepiece to how it evaluates a website. It's a big shift in focus and something every website owner should have on their radar.

The big question becomes what are Google's Core Web Vitals, and how do they relate to your website? Google has basically identified a group of three metrics which all contribute to a better user experience for people on your site. They are trying to make sure website owners present a site that is easy to use and quick to load, and will start rewarding sites more that tick these 'user experience' boxes. This is definitely a little bit of an advancement which coincides with Google's algorithm getting smarter and becoming more 'human like' in it's decision making. We have seen that shift over the years from 'words' being the main focus, to technical features (security, mobile friendliness etc), to now a focus that is more about the usability of a site for the end user. Of course, the algorithm is still a machine at the end of the day, so Google has needed to distil these user experience attributes down to some key technical 'metrics' - loading, interactivity and the visual stability of a site.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - make sure your site loads fast

In recent times, Google has been pointing more and more towards the speed of a site being a real priority. They've provided their PageSpeed Insight tool for a while now, and first on the list of the Core Web Vitals is the "Largest Contentful Paint" metric. The LCP is basically how quickly your site/any particular page on the site loads on average. Google takes it one step further though and looks at how quickly the most meaningful content on any given page loads. So, if you have a product page from your online store, Google may look at how quickly the image of that product loads, whereas on a text driven page, it may be how quickly the first heading takes to pop onto screen. As with anything Google, there will be some experimenting and testing being done by search engine specialists around the globe, but as a rule of thumb we should all be looking to having streamlined and fast websites for both our users to enjoy, and for Google to rank highly.

First Input Delay (FID) - how quickly can you click

With the First Input Delay metric, Google's insatiable hunger for speed continues. The algorithm will be looking at how quickly you are able to click a link or button on a site, and how quickly the site reacts to that. Again, this is down to Google wanting developers to really think hard about how they code and setup a site. They want us to get rid of any excess code on the site, and make sure the code that is used is nice and efficient. As a website owner, the trick here is probably just thinking twice about extra bells and whistles on your site and whether they actually add to your messaging and what you are trying to achieve. For designers and developers, it's about taking the clients requirements and being very thoughtful about how they are implemented.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) - don't throw me all over your page

Have you ever been on a website, had something load in front of you that you want to click, and then had that item shift off the page as you've gone to click it? That's the problem Google is trying to avoid with their "Cumulative Layout Shift" metric. They want a page and website to be stable as it loads for it's users, so along with having content load quickly, they want it to load where it should. Hopefully, this should remove the days of clicking the wrong link because the site has loaded slowly and shunted the content you were interested in down the page as an image above it loads.

The big takeaway - happy user, happy Google

If there is one huge takeaway from this Core Web Vitals update, it's that Google is continuing to push it's algorithms and search engine results to be focussed on user experience. We've been saying for a long time now that if you focus on making a really good, informative website for your customers and clients, then you're on the right search engine optimisation path. These big changes are also just a good time to re-evaluate your site and see whether there is anything that you can improve with your online presence. For 543, we're never static - and in the last couple of months have made sure we have moved the majority of our new website builds to a content management system that is leading the way in Core Web Vital results. Our focus is always staying ahead of the curve - and if that means adapting for our clients, we need to be able to do that quickly.

If you're not sure about how your site might fair under these new Google metrics, or are after a New Zealand SEO services , don't hesitate to contact us and we can give your site a quick look over and chat it through.

If you're interested in finding out more about Google's Core Web Vitals - below are a few more good reads from other experts in the field:
Core web vitals update
Core web vitals and SEO
Core web vitals statistics

The Basics - Building a Website

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 07:18:26 GMT

Getting online? Figure out the first step.

If you're new to creating a website, the number of different platforms and ways to get online can be a bit overwhelming. The first step you need to take is understanding what things you want your website to be able to do.

When we have new clients come to us to build their website for them, it's very common for our first question to be "what do you want your website to be able to do". It's an incredibly simple question, but one that a surprising number of people haven't really thought about. As a basic rule, what you want your website to actually be able to do (the functionality) will dictate what website platform you should choose to begin with. For example, if you are just wanting a straight forward informational website that you'll be able to edit really easily, then something like Weebly, Wix or SquareSpace will fit the brief. They offer drag and drop website editors that are specifically targeted at the average consumer being able to run their own website. However, when you start to add any sort of complexity to a site (think membership systems, databases, or to a lesser extent e-commerce), then you will need to start looking at website platforms with more flexibility (with WordPress being the initial starting point for alot of people). A few things we'd recommend considering:

Is there anything specific that you DEFINITELY want on the site? For example, if you are running an e-commerce store and want to take payment through something like AfterPay, then make sure the website platform you choose allows for that.
Is there anything you don't want on the site now, but do want in the future? If so, you'll need to make a decision about whether you choose a platform with flexibility to grow in the future, or build a second site further down the track into a different platform.
What are you willing to pay for complex features? Every platform will have different costs associated with it, and the more unique or complex a feature, the more you'll likely need to pay in some way.

Once you've chosen a website platform (or content management system) to move ahead with, the design process generally ends up involving two major stages. First up, you'll need to pick the styling or 'theme' of your website. This styling will flow through all your pages, so it pays to take a little bit of time up front getting that right. If you are a newbie, we'd recommend keeping it simple. Pick out a base colour (usually white, sometimes black), and then a max of two colours from your branding and stick with those. Keep the number of fonts to a minimum (two is safe - one for headings and one for the body text), and if you are playing it safe, you can get away with just one main focal image on each page. If you follow those basic guidelines, you'll at least be starting down a middle ground track and shouldn't scare customers away.

With the design and theming chosen, you'll then need to start adding your content to the site. Think about using headings that make sense for both the readers and search engines, and try to sit in the shoes of your customers and clients. Figure out what your end goal is, and make it as easy as possible for your customers or clients to get to that point. Use call to action buttons regularly throughout the site, so people are only ever one or two clicks away from a conversion for you. If you have a more complicated site, or specific functionality, make sure you do some decent research about any third party plugins you use on the site. We always suggest keeping plugins to a minimum - as it's just less things to worry about in terms of security and ongoing maintenance.

Ultimately, website design falls into one of those categories of things you could do yourself, but isn't necessarily completely straight forward. Like most things in life, an expert or specialist in the field will tend to be able to provide you a higher quality result with more conversion potential, and they'll probably do it quicker as well. The investment you make in getting a website designer to do the work ultimately saves you time that you can put into other parts of the business. We love seeing our clients having a crack at the online side of things themselves (and everything we build let's them take over the running of the site), but also think that it's worth having a chat with us, or another expert, before diving into a build yourself. We're always excited to have a no obligations chat with anyone, and will steer you in the right direction regardless of whether you use us, a different web redesign service or build a site yourself, so don't hesitate to get in touch with us today .

The Basics - Domains, Websites, Email & Hosting

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 07:20:38 GMT

Understand the basic hierarchy and elements of your online profile

When we first jumped into the website design world, the first learning curve for us is the first learning curve most business owners take as well. You want a website address, a website, and email account - but don't really understand how they interact.

At 543 we're all about giving our clients as much knowledge or upskilling as they want when it comes to the online world, and one of the most important things to understand is that your domain, website hosting and email hosting are separate things, that can be held in separate places. We like to use the analogy of a house to explain it:

Domain (also sometimes called url) - this is your website address. In New Zealand, it's your .co.nz, while international and American sites tend to be .com. Using the house analogy, your domain is your address. It let's people know where to find you. For this reason, a local domain (.co.nz) is really powerful for a local businesses, as it tells all the search engines that you are a New Zealand based business. Think of having a .co.nz domain name as being listed in a New Zealand yellow pages, versus an international one....imagine thumbing through a directory of the entire world versus just New Zealand to get an idea of how much of a benefit it can be.
Website hosting - this is where your website lives. It's the place where the files of your website (images, text, code etc), sits on physical servers. If the domain is your address, the website hosting is your actual home on the internet.
Email hosting - this is where all your emails are stored. Again, even with cloud hosting, your emails will be stored on a physical server somewhere. Your email hosting is your mailbox!

What is really important to understand about all of the above is that they can be packaged up and paid for all together, or completely separately. You can have your domain with a domain provider, your website hosting with your website designer, and your email hosting with someone like Gmail managed directly by you. If you ever want to separate (or combine) where they are held that's a decision that's entirely up to you. When you are first starting out you can jump in and secure your domain for a yearly fee and just hold it until you are ready to connect a website to it, or equally, you could ask your website designer to do that for you.

Sometimes it's easy for those of us in the online space to assume that everyone knows the basics of how the web works, but it can be a pretty foreign place to most. Don't ever feel like there is a dumb question. In fact, we encourage you to contact us and drill us about anything online, we're more than happy to chat.

The Basics - Starting A Business

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 07:24:14 GMT

You've got an idea - but where to from here?

As a branding and website design company, we have seen a lot of businesses start from scratch, and can give a unique view on what works and what doesn't.

If you're reading this blog post, you're likely to be sitting on a gem of an idea that you'd like to turn into a fully fledged, income earning business. In some ways that initial idea can be both the easiest and hardest part of the journey - with something like 20% of all businesses failing within the first 2 years of launch. Below we've laid out a few basic lessons we've learnt through both our own, and our client's, experiences.

Fail fast - this may seem like a fairly negative outlook to have when starting a business, but adopting this approach could save you alot of wasted investment if the business does fail. We will always recommend that clients look to start their venture with an "MVP" (Minimum Viable Product) version of whatever they are doing. For example, if you want to run an e-commerce store, that may involve starting the site with a limited number of products that you know have a broad market appeal. You can always add to your offering in the future, so it's important to test your business concept for the lowest investment possible and then expand from that point. If you find that you aren't making sales, then it's much easier to pull the pin on something you haven't sunk huge costs into.
Plan early - again, this may seem obvious, but getting your processes in place early will keep things tidy as your business grows. Think about the processes that will make life easier for you. How are you going to record your finances? Should you sign up to Xero or MYOB from day one so you have easy to track financial documents. Do you need a POS or booking system? Does the software you've chosen suit you longer term as you expand? If you can try to think about where you want the business to be in 2, 3, 4 years down the track, then you'll start to make better decisions when it comes to your systems and structures from day one.
Look professional - these days, particularly online, a one man band can look as professional as a 100 man organisation. It doesn't take a huge investment up front to look professional to your customers and clients. Getting your own domain and email account, a clean new logo, and a modern website can all be achieved for a couple of thousand of dollars.
Know your target market - we see alot of businesses who know what they want to sell, but not who they want to sell to. Our very first step with any client is to ask them what their ideal customer looks like. Are you targeting local? Will the customer fall into a certain age demographic? The more you know about your customer, the more you can shape your offerings and advertising to that ideal customer and create a successful starting point for your business.
Find your network of trusted professionals - when you are starting out and have limited resources, there can be a real tendency to try to everything yourself. You'll probably make your own spreadsheet of sales, maybe throw together a logo in photoshop, and run all your own advertising campaigns. For some people, this cost cutting exercise can work, but ultimately, if you aren't a specialist in any particular field, you end up with a lower quality result that's ended up taking twice as long. Any time you aren't focussed on your area of expertise in the business, can be wasted time, so give serious thought to bringing in expert help early. A good accountant or book keeper, a friendly online specialist or local business coach may cost you up front, but in the long run could lead to huge savings and more opportunity for you to focus on sales.
Take on feedback - hearing negative feedback from a customer, client, supplier or friend can be really tough when you are starting out. You'll have a vision and want to stick to it, but outside input can be incredibly valuable. No matter how small the advice, take it onboard, think about it, and never dismiss anything. Just as an example, on of our clients suggested our yearly invoices should come with more warning and a personal note. Within a week we'd made that adjustment, and it gave us a great opportunity to start a dialogue with clients each year that we never would have had if it hadn't been for that one bit of client feedback. The most grumpy and negative review can hold a nugget of improvement for you in those first few years.
Good things take (some) time - while our first suggestion is to 'fail fast', it's also important to recognise that year one is definitely going to be hard going. Once you've got the first sale or client in the door, you have validated your business concept, but for the first year you will definitely be grinding. You'll have long days and weeks, where it seems like all you think about is the business, and often the sales won't reflect the energy you are putting in. On the website side of things, it can take 3-4 months for your website to register in any meaningful way in search results. Things won't happen overnight, but if you are seeing good progress and growth from month to month in that first year, take heart from that.

Starting a business is a daunting and exciting journey. For most, there will be alot of hard work and toil that goes into the early years, but if you do push through and grow your business, the long term rewards and sense of satisfaction are huge. Hopefully the above gets you on the right track in terms of a thought process and if you are in the early stages of getting started, don't hesitate to contact us for a no obligations chat . We're more than happy to talk you through specific experiences we've had with other clients in your industry, and can provide you with helpful insights that may save you a buck in the long run. We love it when our clients succeed, and there is nothing better than being there from day one.

The best website designers in Napier

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:26:19 GMT

Top Napier Website Companies

If you are looking for a website designer in Napier, you are spoilt for choice with options when it comes to both quality and budget.

As a proudly Hawke's Bay based company, we are obviously pretty bias when it comes to the region, but having worked with alot of the website designers in the Bay, we are constantly impressed with the quality of business that New Zealand's regions continue to produce. Our local design industry services the whole country now - helping businesses of every size get online whether they be in Auckland, Wellington, Amberley or Whangarei. With that in mind, it came as no surprise to us to see Top Reviews post their article on the best website designers in Napier recently. It's great to be included in this list, but it's also pleasing to see some of our other favourite local web design companies getting recognition as well and just a reminder of the quality of local talent spread throughout this fantastic country.

So whether you are a local Napier business looking to improve their online presence, or a company from farther afield in New Zealand after top quality design - our little tech forward part of the world has something to offer everyone. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have a question about websites or anything else online .

The Basics - Search Engine Optimisation

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 07:30:03 GMT

What is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?

If you have a website or are looking to get one soon, one of the first little acronyms that you'll hear thrown around is "SEO". But what is SEO and how much do you need to invest in it? Why should you care, and can you do something about it yourself? In this first instalment of 'The Basics', we dial back the technical terms and get to the guts of what SEO means to you and your business.

SEO - Search Engine Optimisation - what's that?
SEO stands for 'Search Engine Optimisation'. It's a broad term that covers a range of techniques used to try to get your site performing the best it possibly can in search engine results naturally. So rather than paying Google to run your ad at the top of the search rankings, the goal of an SEO plan is to bring your website up to the top of the rankings without needing to pay Google.

But how does it work?
Imagine reading through every website on the internet and then trying to put them into topic categories, regions, and in order of which site is the best match for a topic and a region. That's effectively what Google's algorithm is doing every day and is a great starting point for understanding how SEO and search engines work. Unfortunately, Google can't watch through the videos on a website, or see a picture and know what's in it (although we're sure that may change in the future!). What Google can look at is what is written on the site and where it is written. That's the starting point for SEO - the 'on-site' factors which tell Google what your site is about. The search engines also then look at how the site relates to the rest of the internet (eg what other websites are talking about a site), and that makes up the second part of the equation - the 'off-site' factors. A good SEO plan is all about getting those on-site factors and off-site factors targeting the topics and search terms you want your website to show near the top of the rankings in.

So what are the on-site factors I need to worry about?
Exactly what the Google algorithm looks at in ranking a website isn't absolutely set in stone. As the algorithm evolves, different elements of your site will be looked at differently by Google, but there are some 'rules of thumb' you can follow.

Get your structure right. Make sure you give the title of your page/site a name that fits in with what you do, and then use H1, H2, H3 headings etc to structure your page with relevant headings and information. Use a reasonable amount of text and describe what you do and where you do it in a natural way. Think about someone who has never been to your website before, can they clearly understand what you do and where you do it?
Think fast. Google loves a quick website - so make sure you get your page speed going well. You'll want your website to look good, so will inevitably have images on it - but don't use huge files. Try to keep the file size down to a minimum (without losing quality).
Make sure it works on mobile. This goes without saying these days, but your website should be mobile friendly.
Content is king. Blog, update your website, and generally keep it fresh and new. Every news article or blog post you put on the site is another page for Google to look at and potentially index - so get typing!
Link it up. Make sure you link from page to page on your website based on keywords. So if you have a page on a particular topic area, link from text about that topic area to it (for example - our search engine optimisation page is here !).

And what about off-site factors?
The off site part of SEO can be a little trickier to get your head around. While looking at all the sites on the internet, Google is also following the links between sites to try to better understand what they are about. For example, if your local Rugby Club has a website and it links off to the local Netball team website, Google will be looking at that link to identify if they are related in some way. On top of that, the search engine knows that if a high ranking, high quality website is linking off to another site, then that other site should be looked at in higher regard. Equally, if a low ranking, low quality site links off to another site, then that negative may rub off on that site as well. So where possible, if you can have your site featured in articles on well regarded sites that are about the same topic area that you work in, you'll see benefit.

Also think about sharing your website links through your social media channel's regularly. Google has an uncanny knack of identifying popularity on the internet in general, so if your social media channels flourish (and you link back to your website), then expect good things!

Do I need to worry about anything?
As you do a search for SEO you might see the terms 'white hat' and 'black hat' SEO pop up. These terms basically allude to there being good ways and bad ways of doing SEO, and they get thrown around in different contexts that can be quite confusing. The bottom line is that as Google evolves, some of the techniques used in the past to jump up the search rankings have started to have negative effects. As a basic rule, anything a human would look at as 'unnatural' on your site will increasingly be recognised by the search engines as you trying to game the system. For example, cramming hundreds of keywords in the site meta data used to be the way to tell Google what the site was about - that no longer really works. Same goes with overloading your page with keywords (ie having only keywords on the page without other text around it). Link building in particular can be slightly risky these days - beware of a 'toxic link' - ie a link from a website that has nothing to do with your topic area, from a site that Google doesn't necessarily trust. If you have an SEO specialist that suggests a 'link building' campaign, just make sure they are cautious about where they are getting those links from. Some of these dodgier SEO techniques may give your site a short term bump, but long term could damage your rankings.

Do I need to do anything?
So the good news is that even if you do absolutely no SEO on your site, it's possible it will start moving up the search engine rankings. There are so many factors that contribute to a ranking, that if you have a reasonably good site in a niche that isn't super competitive, then over time your site can creep towards that coveted front page ranking. However, if you aren't running a rankings scan, and haven't got an eye to the SEO side of things, then you are leaving things to chance a little bit. It would be like Usain Bolt showing up to the Olympic final without training for the last year - his natural talent miiiight pull him through, but it's far more likely the runners that have been training will cross the line in front of him. SEO is very much like training in that regard - it can be a pain in the ass, and if you don't do it then it isn't the end of the world...but if you want to win - then it's probably something you should look into.

For more information about SEO or anything in our "The Basics" series, don't hesitate to contact jamie@543.co.nz .

'Tis the season to be charitable

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 08:01:20 GMT

Giving for good this Christmas

As the end of the year quickly approaches us, businesses throughout New Zealand will be looking at thanking their clients and showing gratitude in what has been an extremely tough 2020. But is there a better way to give this Xmas?

Bottles of booze will be wrapped, gift boxes will be sent, and branded items will fly around the country as we all look to make sure our clients and suppliers know just how important they are to us. Small gestures can be huge, and it's always important to thank those in our circles that have made 2020 just that little bit better. However, this year in particular has shone a light on alot of kiwis that are doing it tough - and there is no time like Christmas to look outward when it comes to giving. Increasingly, businesses and clients really appreciate seeing social good being done, and there are a huge range of fantastic charities around that you are able to donate to on your client's behalf. This year, instead of sending out our annual Christmas gift, 543 are going to direct those funds into a few donations to charities - and we'd really encourage anyone who was thinking of sending us a gift to do the same.

With New Zealand having 27,000+ charities - the real trick becomes figuring out where to send a Christmas donation. From child poverty, to medical advances, there are literally thousands of worthy causes to get behind. If you're so inclined, you can dive into the Charities Register to have a look through all of New Zealand's charities, but below we've provided a few thoughts to help you land on the charity that is right for you.

What's important right now?
Choosing where to give probably starts at having a think about what is going on in the world right now, and what charities might be needing help in this moment in time. 2020 has obviously seen alot of families fall on tough times, so for us a charity like KidsCan , or The Salvation Army makes alot of sense. Housing is also a burning topic at the moment - so Habitat for Humanity could be another good option, or take a look at The Kindness Institute - which focuses on overcoming anxiety, fear and stress. Equally, you may recognise that alot of attention will be going the way of those charities this year, and so might look towards something like Canteen or Forest & Bird to make sure those other areas in need continue to get some backing while the spotlight is pointed elsewhere.

What's important to you?
Ultimately everyone has their own passions and life experiences that will guide their giving. You might want to get in behind climate change and our future leaders with Generation Zero or perhaps you have had someone close to you touched with dementia and Alzheimers NZ holds a special place in your heart. If there is something very important to you, you're bound to find a fantastic charity in New Zealand to get behind.

Go local - or look abroad?
For 543 one of the first things we did was have a look around for charities in our region. The Hawke's Bay Foundation , with their approach of spreading donations across a range of charities locally was a natural fit. You'll be able to find your own local charities with a little bit of looking, and in 2020 it does seem fitting to support local. With that said, New Zealand's response to Covid-19 has put us in an enviable position globally, and there are alot of overseas causes that will have increasing need of help. The poorest countries in the world will be the last to get a vaccine, so something like Unicef for example will remain important.

What is happening around you?
The last little consideration that we looked at was where our colleagues and fellow businesses have directed their giving this year. We're truly stoked to have seen both our competitors and friends already donating to Surf Life Saving NZ and Send A Little Smile. Those are both charities we could easily get behind, but knowing some other awesome businesses have backed them, also let's us have a look around at other options to share the love this Christmas season.

At the end of the day, if you are choosing to support a charity this year instead of send out gifts this Christmas, who you donate to will be a really personal choice - and there shouldn't really be a wrong answer! Above are just a handful of example options we've included - hopefully they spark a light bulb moment for you about where you'd like to give this year. Have a look around, understand what the cause you are getting behind stands for and give for good in 2020.

20% off your website design this Black Friday & Cyber Monday!

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 08:02:51 GMT

Lock in your 20% discount

It's the time of the year when the internet starts to go crazy with specials! Given how tough 2020 has been for so many people, here at 543 Design we've decided to extend a 20% discount for 2020's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale. Just complete the below form before 1 December 2020 and we'll apply a 20% discount to your website design fee. Our prices are already some of the best in the business, so get yourself an incredible site for an incredible price this weekend.

*Can be applied to as many sites as required, however discount is a maximum of 20% and can not be used in conjunction with any other 543 discount.

Rebranding - evolving your company image

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:09:53 GMT

How subtlely rebranding can keep your company identity

As any company (big or small) moves forward and grows, it's inevitable that at some point they will want to update their corporate image to match the times. There are a huge number of reasons to rebrand - brand awareness measures pointing to the need, a changing aesthetic in your industry, new owners wanting to take control of a business, or just the evolution of the business and people within it. Whatever the reason for the update, it's possible (and often important) to take that dramatic step forward without losing the 'essence' of your existing brand.

For 543 Design, that desire to take a step forward came upon us (again!) recently. When we first started the company our brand wasn't something we put a huge amount of thought into. We were so focused on getting out and creating other companies websites and logos that our own image sat idle for years. In year one we quickly jumped away from the 'Pak n Save' yellow and black which got us off the ground, and picked up a more vibrant orange, blue and green colour scheme to pop off the screen a bit more. Over time, that scheme and logo got paired with the geometric patterns you see behind the website menu today, and now we're proud to launch a more refined logo that we feel represents us far more elegantly. Just as we've evolved as a business, our brand has evolved. The logo you see live on the site now focuses on the simple, clean and bold aesthetic we like most in our website designs, while keeping the blue, orange and green that is so much the 'personality' of 543. We love a splash of colour and we're not a boring outfit, but it's really pleasing to represent the brand in a much more refined fashion.

We're not the only company that has been going through a changing image this last couple of months. Gmail has also seen it's iconic red envelope evolve as well - moving in line with the other core Google colours. The online behemoth originally considered dropping the Gmail logo all together, but their user research showed that people had an affinity with that envelope and pushed back against getting rid of it completely - so the logo has simply evolved. Below is a little video just paying homage to the design that has gone into both that logo and the rest of Google's new 'Workspace' and it really goes to show that a little design thought and subtlety can both spruce up and unify a brand.

Ultimately, whether you want to 'rebrand' or evolve your brand is up to you. For some, a wholesale change with new fonts, colours and icons may be the way to go...but for us, there's something quite special about taking an existing brand identity that you already love, and evolving it into something even more special.

As always, if you do want to rebrand , or have any questions about logo design , branding or anything else in the design space, don't hesitate to drop us a line.

How to create a Google review link in 3 easy steps

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:19:03 GMT

How to Create a Google My Business Review Link

It should come as no surprise in today's online economy that positive reviews are hugely beneficial for your business. Whether you have a physical retail store, own a cafe, run a law firm, or have an e-commerce website, Google reviews may be one of the first things a potential customer sees about your company. It's hugely important to cultivate a good selection of reviews, and one of the easiest ways to do that is by sending a Google review link directly to your customers. Below are a few simple steps you'll need to follow to create that Google review link.

1) Claim your Google My Business Profile
This may be something you have already done, but if not, it's a crucial first step towards not just improving your Google reviews, but also improving your general profile on Google. To claim your profile simply head to https://www.google.com/business/ , sign up, and create your businesses profile. If you have a marketing company working for you, they may have already done this, and you'll just want to liaise with them about the next few steps.

2) Login to your Google My Business Profile and find your 'review request' link
Once you have setup your Google My Business profile, head to the 'Home' page of that profile and scroll towards the bottom of the page. Here you'll find a 'tile' called "Get more Reviews". Click on the "Share review form" button and a pop up will appear with a link for you to copy - or the option to share that link across your social media channels.

3) Share your review link with your clients
Once you've copied that link all you need to do is get it in the hands of the clients you'd like reviewing you. Personally, whenever we finish a job we like to email this link out to our clients - the more reviews you have the better!

And you are done! Hopefully this has helped you get your review link out to more of your clients, but if you have any questions about this, website design , or anything else on our site, don't hesitate to contact us today.

The benefits of working from home - and how to do it.

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 08:27:00 GMT

Coronavirus & working from home in New Zealand

As the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) begin to be felt on New Zealand shores, more and more talk will be circulated about working from home and whole businesses moving to working remotely.

543 Design are strong advocates of the 'work from home' model and in this blog we take a look at the benefits of letting your employees work from home, as well as a few considerations on how to make it work.

First up, we should definitely acknowledge that working from home isn't for everyone - both individually or as a company. There are a ton of industries out there that survive on face to face contact (I'm not sure how well my hair cut would go over Skype!). There are also alot of individuals out there who thrive off the structure that an office environment or workplace will bring. So with that in mind, the first thing to think about is whether you can complete all your day to day tasks without face to face interaction, and whether you'll be able to do those tasks in a way where you stay productive. Even if you can manage some of those tasks from home at the moment, it could possibly benefit both yourself and your company in the long run. Here are our 'pro's' for working from home:

The benefits of working from home or working remotely:

Work when you're feeling productive: This is a big one for us. When you have a set work day, you assume that every individual will be at their most productive during those set periods. In reality that just isn't the case. When working from home you quickly figure out when you are starting to lose productivity and the ability to pop out for a jog, or just put your work to the side for a little while can DRAMATICALLY increase your productivity on the other side. In our industry, developers and creatives in particular seem to be real night owls - and who are we to stop them sleeping in and starting late if they are getting the work done well.
Feel comfortable: From your lazy sweatpants to the air con being set on YOUR temperature, you can set yourself to be in an environment that is spot on making sure you are working at your best.
Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency: When everyone is working from home and you no longer have in person meetings, you become ruthlessly efficient with your time. You can still keep in touch with your clients and colleagues, but when it's over the phone or on Skype you seem to get to the point much quicker. Office politics evaporate, and everyone seems to be more focused on the collective goal.
Keep on top of the rest of life: Having that nagging feeling that you need to hang the washing out shouldn't be underestimated as a distraction at work. If you are working flexibly at home you can keep on top of all of the little things, easing stress levels, and ultimately making you a better worker.
No workmates - no distractions: One of the biggest pros from having a home office is the lack of colleagues being nearby for a 'quick chat' or distraction. There are plenty of different distractions, but at least you won't get pulled away from what you are doing on someone else's whim.
It's a cheaper day to day: How much was that sub you brought for lunch yesterday? Or that coffee you grabbed mid afternoon. When you're working from home your cost of living will inevitably dip - with your fridge nice and handy, last nights leftovers are that much more appealing.
Save time on the zero minute commute: Inevitably, if you are working in an office you have at least some sort of travel time to work. It's incredibly satisfying being able to wake up, sit at your computer in your PJ's and bang out an hour or twos work before anyone has even got to their office. That time saved up front is time that can be used on other work projects, or on your own personal activities later in the day.
Working remotely doesn't have to mean working from home: If you love the travel life, then remote working lets you take your laptop and your work wherever you want to go (with an internet connection!). The satisfaction of having a regular income, completing tangible work, and being able to see the world is something that really helps people develop individually and as employees.
Stay healthy: This isn't something we ever think about - but it's one we just had to add on here given the current happenings globally!

How to work from home - and how it can be tricky

It's all about that internet connection: This goes without saying. You need a solid internet connection and a well setup home office to be able to work well. That home office may be different for industry to industry, but it'll include a laptop or computer and all the software you need.
Learn to love your phone: There has been a bit of a tenancy in recent years to vilify the idea of 'taking work home with you'. We certainly know people who hate having a work phone, because it just lets them be contacted about work in their own time. You need to make a conscious shift when working from home and love that phone. Why? Because it means you can duck out to the shops in the middle of the day and still pick up your emails. It let's you do your exercise mid afternoon, but stay on top of your work in the evening if needed. Your phone is your friend.
Be disciplined: They say the biggest enemies to working from home are the fridge, your bed and the TV. You have to set yourself some boundaries, acknowledging that when you are working, you are working. These don't have to be super strict, but personally we tend to at least work within a set of hours each day. Sometimes when the creativity is blown and our productivity slumps, those distractions end up being a benefit for a half hour or so, but you've got to be careful not to slide down the slippery slope of procastination.
Set your goals : This is something that you should be doing in an office setting anyway, but it's even more important when working from home. Have your to-do list - and do it. The sense of achievement you'll get from that while working from home and also keeping on top of your home life is HUGE.
Find the right software: As a business, the biggest jump we had in productivity was finding the right software to manage workflows and keep up communication. From Slack to Monday.com, to Skype and GSuite, there are a ton of cloud based software options that improve your ability to keep a team on track while the work from different places.
Figure out what works for you: The last, and probably most important tip from us is to try all the above, but to find what works best for your company and for you. You may want to hold a daily Skype meeting to make sure all your employees are on deck at a reasonable hour. You might need them to work between certain hours for certain reason. There are a plethora of individual considerations that you'll want to think through before committing to working from home.

Above all else, in this chaotic time, business needs to keep rolling. Working from home might help your company just stay afloat, or it could end up being a way to see it flourish and become more profitable. Keep focusing on your online advertising , and remember your website design and web presence in a time where more and more people will be doing business from there computer and online.

If you have any questions at all - don't hesitate to contact us !

Is e-commerce right for your business?

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 08:22:29 GMT

Is e-commerce right for your business?

With Coronavirus seeing more and more individuals self isolating, the world of e-commerce is going to become increasingly important. Have you geared your business up to be able to sell your products or services online?

It's fair to say that over the last decade the way that we do business has changed. The wealthiest company and man in the world has their entire business based around the concept of buying goods without ever having to step foot in a physical store. Gone are the days of needing a storefront and physical premise to run an effective business. The not so new, but ever more important frontier of digital business is becoming the driving factor to many companies profitability.

For New Zealanders, that spells opportunity. Whether you are an established business without an online presence, a new shop that hasn't branched into e-commerce, or someone just starting out their journey - starting an e-commerce website could offer you a fantastically cost effective way to increase your bottom line.

So what is e-commerce?
In it's simplest form e-commerce is any online facility that lets consumers buy products or services online. This could be physical products, digital products (like books or videos), or even online services like video and skype consultations. The key component is that the offering is paid for through the website.

Why is e-commerce such a good option?
E-commerce can potentially open up a whole world of consumers to a company. New Zealand in particular has a fantastic reputation globally, so for some of our industries in particular e-commerce opens up overseas markets that absolutely love us. Coronavirus has proven that when something like a pandemic hits, brick and mortar day to day business is put at danger, while an opportunity opens up online as more consumers seek to have their goods and services delivered to their doorstep. It's a trend that existed before this global health event, and it'll be one that continues after it.

Can my business operate an e-commerce site?
The first thing you need to ask yourself is 'do my products and services NEED to be performed in person'.

For most physical products, the answer will be absolutely not. If you can pick it up and hold it, chances are you can package it up and sell it online.

For intellectual services, your knee jerk reaction may also be 'I can't sell what I do online' - but have a real think about that. Could you digitise your knowledge? Create a series of articles or videos that you could sell online? Could you run online seminars, or hold consultations via Skype or online? There is a huge amount of scope for growth in the majority of professional services businesses online.

And lastly that leaves those industries that rely on physically touching and seeing their consumers. Your physio's, doctor's and dentists for example. Obviously alot of your job will be based around in person consultation, however, you also hold alot of valuable knowledge that could be digitised. Doctors clinics are already looking at running video consultations for example.

What does it cost to do e-commerce?
Generally the cost of e-commerce will vary depending on the solution you go for. It would be rare for you to have hosting costs of less than about $50 per month, and inevitably if you take payment online, you'll be paying a percentage of each sale to a payment gateway provider (around the 3-4% mark). There are obviously delivery costs to consider, and the initial cost of setting up or creating an e-commerce website. You can see our website design pricing here . Our pricing is below $2,500 + GST for a website design - putting us at the lower end of what a website designer would charge for an e-commerce site. You can of course make a site yourself, but having a professional opinion can often pay dividends in the long run.

So why haven't you got an e-commerce site yet?
If you've been thinking about it for a while, this Coronavirus scare might be just the prompt you need to get your e-commerce website underway. There is plenty of upside, and in times like these it's important to look at how your business can adapt and improve. It's never all doom and gloom, and where there is hardship, there is often opportunity for growth.

As we've said in a number of blogs now, if sales slow, remember that alot more people are going to be online as more self isolation occurs. Shift your focus to online advertising , and take any slow period as a chance to improve what your doing as a business. Your website design is a great place to start that.

Be sure to get in touch with us if you have any questions at all about an e-commerce website or anything online.

Should you leave a Google review?

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 08:31:09 GMT

The importance of a good review

As we end January and businesses across the country really start churning along we've had alot of client's ask about whether they should be seeking Google or Facebook reviews. Every lay person seems to have a different opinion, and we've heard some businesses go so far as saying they don't want any sort of Google review profile because it opens them up to the risk of bad reviews. There is some logic to that, so in today's blog we weigh up the importance of reviews, and look at what a consumer should be turning their mind to when leaving a review.

Should my business have Google or Facebook reviews?
Here at 543 Design we are a huge fan of both the Google and Facebook review system. As a professional services business, people will tend to only leave a review if they are prompted (which tends to end up being a high review), or if they have a terrible experience (which we aim to never happen!). Our philosophy has always been that if we do a stellar job with every client then they are likely to only leave positive feedback. That feedback can be seen by future potential customers and is one of a myriad of factors that Google takes into account when establishing their search engine rankings. You'll notice that the majority of the top search rankings also tend to have a good review presence - and that is no coincidence.

The flipside of that is if you do end up getting a number of bad or indifferent reviews. For a services based company, even a 3 star rating is going to have a negative effect. That's unfortunately just a fact of life when it comes to review systems - you need to be prepared to cop the bad along with the good. Luckily, if you focus on performing a good job for every customer, you will have a huge range of clients and customers to call on for a good review. By following those positive customers up, you will be able to flood your listing with high reviews and keep your rating strong.

Unfortunately, there is always the possibility of an outlier in the mix. Someone who doesn't know your businesses, or leaves a frivolous or unfair review that brings your rating down. We've recently experienced this, and while Google does offer some remedies for removing a review, for the most part you won't be able to get rid of it. Should this happen to you; read the review, understand what the customer/client's issue is, and respond in a reasoned manner. Never over-react or get too deep into a 'he said, she said' that would aggravate the reviewer further, but try to leave a response that other potential customers can relate to. In the ideal world the reviewer would change their review - so contacting them directly in a positive light could even be worth a try. Should that fail, try to find three people who would leave you a positive review to drown out the negative one.

As a consumer, when should I leave a review?
Since owning a business we've become hugely more aware of how a review can impact your company and possibly even sales. That leads us to a much more circumspect approach to reviewing, and we'd absolutely love it if everyone asked themselves a few simple questions before leaving a rating:

What industry is the company I'm reviewing in and how many reviews do they currently have? A food and beverage company, tourism, or accommodation company is going to have alot more reviews left than an accountant or law firm. Any review you leave is going to have more impact on a company with a small number of reviews (versus one with hundreds already).
Did I sample the services in full? If you are going to leave a review, you really should have a had a full experience with the company you are reviewing.
Was my experience so bad it is worth telling other's about and impacting someone else's business? Obviously a terrible experience is worth a bad review, but weigh up the pro's and con's before leaving that stinging 1 star rating.
Have I given the business a chance to rectify the situation? You may have caught the business on an off day - make sure you get in touch with them to express your disappointment and see if they do right by you.

From a business owner's perspective, we always think you should leave a 5 star review often and easily for professional businesses, and think really, really hard before leaving a review for anything less than a 5 star.

A bit of context
It's important to read the above with a little bit of context about 543's experience of the Google review system. As a website design company it took us about 4 years to build up 26 positive (5 star) reviews from clients that used us for a full build and loved our work. We're now sitting at a 4.9 star rating after a one off sales enquiry phone call where the client left a review saying they might use us in the future, but didn't have an opinion on us yet (so left a 3 star review). A crushing way to lose a hard earned 5 star rating and a real lesson to us in the consequences involved in the reviews we leave for other companies!

New Year - new website?

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 08:32:18 GMT

Christmas website design specials

It's getting to the time of the year when focus throughout New Zealand shifts from business to festivities. The sun is shining and while retail booms, corporate New Zealand takes a breath and we all get to take stock of the year that's been. Whether it was a tough one, a great year of growth, or your first year in business, the New Year always presents a great line in the sand to springboard forward. That will mean different things for different companies - but there is always room for growth online.

With that in mind, we are really excited to offer your first year of hosting free if you sign up to build a new website between Christmas '19 and the end of January 2020. That also extends to any current clients thinking about a big refresh, so if your site is around that 3-4 year old mark and you are wanting to do an upgrade, definitely get in touch with us to lock this deal in. That hosting starts at $180 + GST per site, so we think it's a great little incentive if you just need that little kick start to starting your site

Above all else though, from everyone at 543 Design, we hope you have a fantastic holiday period if you do manage to escape the grind. We're available throughout the Christmas and New Year's period, and are really excited to launch into 2020 with all our clients.

Flash is no more!

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:39:17 GMT

The End of Adobe Flash Player

We remember the days when having a fancy website almost inevitably meant relying on "Flash". This little wonder plugin from Adobe was responsible for a huge amount of animation on the web a decade ago and it was almost a mainstay in our browsers. However, a couple of years ago Adobe themselves flagged that they would stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020. Now, with that date not too far around the corner Google has indicated that Flash Player elements will no longer be indexed by Google...at all.

Given Google accounts for about three quarters of all search traffic globally, Flash no longer being indexed by them basically spells the end for that little piece of software. Luckily only about 3% of sites utilize the Flash code, so you're likely be to safe from hitting Google's bad books in this regard, but if you do have an older site reliant on Flash, this should definitely be the kick needed to get yourself a new website.

Get in touch with us any time if you do want to talk about upgrading your website to make sure it stays current and ahead of the curve.

The Google BERT update - searches get smarter

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:34:33 GMT

The Google BERT Update

At the end of October 2019 there was a huge change to your day to day which you likely didn't notice and didn't know about. Google, the favoured search engine of about 75% of us released it's biggest update in 5 years. It was so big that the notoriously secretive search engine goliath announced it to the world and we're already starting to see it impact the search results being shown.

What is BERT?

The Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers update (or BERT) is a neural network based technique for natural language processing. Basically it's a form of AI that looks at patterns in language to help the search engine better understand what us crazy humans are really looking for. In the English language we'll use words in very different (and sometimes not obvious) ways. The BERT update tries to make sense of these subtleties in our language. So if you are searching for 'money in the bank', you're now more likely to find information on financial institutions - as opposed to say, riverbanks.

What this means for those of us searching for things (particularly with longer search terms or sentences), is a much improved search experience. The Google search results should be more likely to be helpful in more of our searches. That can only be a good thing, for both customers and businesses alike.

So what about my website?

This change continues the recent trend for smarter and more 'human like' understanding of websites by search engines. It's definitely in keeping with our view that the best approach to search results is to stay relevant to what you do, understand what your customers are searching for, and create content that matches up with that naturally. The days of bombarding sites with external links is quickly fading and a more honest approach to SEO is definitely needed.

My site has dived down after BERT - what do I do?

It's always possible in a big search engine shake up that sites move up or down the rankings - potentially dramatically. For this update, if you've had a big backwards move our recommendation would just be to get back to doing the basics right. Create good, naturally reading content that your customer will be interested and your site should start performing in the areas it is meant to. If you are dog salesman, there's no point trying to target cats for example (even if it is highly searched). Focus on the customers you want and this update should be more likely to bring those relevant customers to your site.

What should I ask my website designer?

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 08:40:43 GMT

What you should find out about your web designer

So you're taking the plunge and getting yourself a new website or updating your current one. From our office to yours, here are a few of the questions that we are always impressed by when asked by our clients.

How much will it cost me...today and tomorrow.

Building a website will usually cost some sort of fee up front. Some designers will run off a fixed cost basis, while others will be quoting you based on an hourly rate. It's important to understand just where your designer sits in the spectrum. Wherever we can we like to run off a fixed cost basis, but every now and then there may be scenarios where that isn't possible. Either way, it's hugely important for our clients to understand what they are in for.

Thinking longer term, your website is likely to need to be hosted somewhere. That hosting comes with a fee, as does the domain, your email accounts and sometimes plugins used on your site. All these costs tend to be ongoing, so make sure you know what you'll be up for either yearly or monthly. Always see if the price might drop if you pay yearly versus monthly - you can usually save a few dollars that way.

Will I get access?
This seems a no brainer to us. Any website we build is on the client's behalf, so it's their intellectual property. That means we give them full access to edit and change the site themselves (if they want it). Always check what sort of access your designer will give you.

What does the hosting include?
Your site may need some little tweaks and updates in the future. Your hosting fee should always cover general maintenance required to keep the site online. Obviously, if you want a big change, that may not be included in your hosting fee, but either way it's good to check. Some companies will offer higher hosting fees but provide a more intensive support service. For us, we try to enable our clients as much as possible so keep our hosting fees to a minimum.

What platform are you building the website in?
There are literally hundreds of different website building platforms out there in the world today. Whether it be the stalwart WordPress, or some of the new kids on the block Wix, Weebly or Squarespace, every content management system has it's pros and cons. Ask your designer what they use, and also ask them why they've chosen to use that CMS. They may be choosing something for specific functionality, or like us, choosing a platform that is really easy for their clients to use.

Can I see some of your past work?
This is less a question and more a little bit of due diligence. Designers should have a portfolio of sites that you can have a look at. You can ask them for some example sites, or even head to Google and Facebook to find reviews on the company. From those reviews you'll not only be able to gauge how clients find working with the designer, but also possibly figure out some websites to check out.

Why should we go with you?
This is sometimes a painful question to answer, but every website designer should have a fair idea of their strengths and weaknesses. They should quickly rattle off what they see as the benefits of their company over another. Whether that be affordability, customer service or creating you an easy to use site.

Whatever designer you end up choosing for your site, there is certainly no harm in canvassing the field. Feel free to get in touch with us any time to grill us on these and other questions you might have on website design.

Wellington Website Design Catch-Ups & Free Workshops

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 08:45:30 GMT

Wellington Website Design Meetings

543 Designs is hugely excited to bring our expertise to as many NZ businesses as possible.

With that in mind, Jamie Twigg from 543 will be in town visiting as many businesses as possible in Wellington next week on Thursday 19th & Friday 20th of September 2019 . Our aim is to give free advice and direction to businesses in the capital with a no obligations meeting & brief workshop at your premises. The key here is we are happy to chat about anything online or branding, but websites are our speciality so we'd love to help you out on that front first and foremost. If you have a free half hour to an hour, we'd love to come talk to you.

The meeting is absolutely free and we'll aim to give you some solid takeaways for implementing yourself if you'd like to. If you end up using us for any work in the future, that will just be a bonus!

To organise a time to catch up that suits you just complete the below form and we'll be in touch! We look forward to meeting you and helping out wherever we can.

Jamie Twigg will be holding free initial website/branding meetings and workshops in Wellington.

543 Wellington Workshops

Some of our favourite websites

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 09:16:04 GMT

Every site is different - but here are some of our favourites.

With 4 years and over 200 sites up online we often get asked for the favourite websites we've built. Picking your favourite site is a little bit like picking your favourite child as every client has different tastes and brings different things to the party when designing a website with us.

Our personal favourite website designs

Below we've tried to showcase a few of the sites we really like that we've built. Because every client is different, we've tried to give a nice variety of sites. Check them out and grab some inspiration, or contact us if you have something completely different in mind - we love a new project and building something unique!

More conventional layouts

Sidebar navigation

Video & dynamic headers

Simple, visual homepages

Functionally focussed

e-Commerce

Your site next?

Above is just a sample of some of the brilliant websites our client's have up and live on the web at the moment. Remember every website is unique, so if you have something in mind that you didn't see above, let us know and we'd be excited to make that for you. If you're looking for a new site or a site upgrade, be sure to get in touch today.

How to design a landing page that generates sales and leads

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 09:20:32 GMT

Generating leads from your website design

This month we take a look into how to best design a landing page that generates sales and leads for your business. We dive into a few of the more common principles on conversion generating design, as well as giving a few insights from a 543 Design perspective.

Hick's law

In recent times the great majority of our clients have started to look at not just having a website live and getting people to that website, but how they can get conversions from their website. In this blog we take a look at how you can best set up your landing page and homepage to increase conversions - whether that be through leads or sales.

Sometimes in business, life and design, less can definitely be more. Trusty Wikipedia will tell you that Hick's law (named after William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman), describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision based on the number of choices they have in front of them. It sounds pretty simple, but the science basically shows that the less choices in front of a person, the quicker they will make a choice. Quick choice's are crucial online. Putting that into practice, if you have a specific goal, you need to make that one choice the only thing the client is pondering. For example... contact us now if you need a website refresh, online advertising, or to put these theories into action on your site!

Rule of thirds

In photography it's widely recognised that if you divide your photo into thirds, it becomes more appealing to the viewer. The same applies to websites, and we can take that a step further. On a PC in particular the user will generally start on the left hand side of the page, then scan down and across it left to right. With that in mind, the 'F' layout is a great one to use - tracing those 'thirds' of the screen. You'll find alot of effective sites will have their call to action placed in the mid/bottom left hand side of the visible portion of the landing page, at the intersection of the bottom left third. Keeping that general layout in mind can really help when setting up your landing pages.

Don't be afraid of blank space

Often when a newbie is putting together a design they think is great, they will shy away from empty spots and white space. They want to cram all their information into the first part of a landing screen, and so think blank space is wasted space. That's a big misunderstanding. Negative space can be used to bring real attention to your call of action, can simplify the page, and can in fact make it look alot better. Use that negative space to draw the user's attention to your call to action button - and remember that simplicity can be the winner on the day.

On this note, definitely give a bit of space between your text by setting a taller line height. At a minimum it's a good idea to have your line spacing at 1.5 times the size of the font - leaving a half gap of white between lines. It is easier for the viewer to read, and also gives a great design aesthetic.

Fitt's law

The placement of your call to action buttons in particular can also be guided by Fitt's law. Borrowing from Wikipedia again, this scientific law predicts that the time required to rapidly move to a target area is a function of the ratio between the distance to the target and the width of the target. So, if your mouse is close to a big button, you will click it more often than a small button that is on the other side of the screen. It's another fairly obvious statement, but critical to getting increased conversions on your homepage. Use a reasonably large button, not too far from the centre of the screen (remembering the 'F' layout) and you should be onto a winner.

Our overall 543 thoughts

Like everything online, there is a balancing act to be had between a highly optimised site for SEO, lead conversion, and a visually good looking website. All of the above can really be narrowed down to the KISS principles of keeping it simple. Focus on one major call to action and one piece of messaging, keep the landing page uncluttered around that call to action button and you're off to a very good start. Ensure the button is big, the colour of it contrasts with the rest of the site, and place it in a sensible place near the centre left of the screen. If you can nail those things on the first load of your landing page, you have a site design targetted at increasing conversions.

This has been a great blog for us to delve into and increasing sales and leads is something we are passionate about. Over the next few weeks we'll expand on this blog and look at other techniques and tools that can help you get the most out of your site. In the meantime, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us .

How to price your product or service

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 09:32:14 GMT

Pricing - what should you charge

As we reach the end of another financial year alot of businesses will be sitting down to evaluate their place in the market. One of the first things that always comes under the microscope is the pricing of both products and services. It's always something that is worth evaluating, and both an increase or a decrease in your pricing can have positive or negative effects on your overall bottom line. Here at 543 we certainly aren't experts in economics by any stretch of the imagination, but we do have the privilege of helping companies of all types get their businesses online . We've also spent a whole lot of time researching pricing and below are a few of the underlying factors we've seen recommended time and again.

Don't do something for nothing
This might seem obvious, but one of the big pitfalls that small businesses in particular fall into is pricing their products and services at cost. The logic is pretty obvious "if this costs X, then it shouldn't be sold much more than X." It's a really admirable way to do business, but it's also not sustainable. If you want to be fair to your customers and provide them with a great service LONG TERM, then you need to make sure that your company also makes enough margin to last a long time as well. For example, no one wants us to build them a website and not be around a year later to be able to manage it. To be the 'good guy' with great prices and longevity, you'll need to make money somewhere along the line.

Research, research, and a little bit more research
The beauty of an open market is that there are bound to be a number of competitors in whatever your field is, and there are likely to be some competitors near you. If your 'costs' are the absolute baseline for what you can sell, your competitors can be an easy barometer of where you can price products or services including profit/margin. Really look around hard and identify what competitors price themselves at and figure out where you want to fit in the price scale compared to them.

Who is your customer and what will they pay
Trying to understand what your customer might be willing to pay for your product or service is a really tricky proposition. For small businesses in particular, your gut instinct is probably to value your services less than what a consumer will actually pay for them. That's where your competitor research comes in handy - if you can identify a successful competitor with a similar product, then you know that you can match them and also have sales. Of course, you may also want to grab a different part of the market to your competition. If so, it may be worth canvasing that market to understand what their pricing perception is.

Pricing for perception
As counter intuitive as it may seem, a lower price point can potentially lead to less sales - depending on the product and the target market. A lower price can lead consumers to a belief that the product or service is going to be 'less' than something that is priced higher. For something like web design, this is definitely a phenomena we come across regularly. Our website prices tend to be on the lower end of the scale, and that comes with a risk that they are perceived as 'cheap'. Regardless of how high the quality of our work is, the pricing can still give the impression that if a customer uses us, they will not be getting a 'premium' product. That obviously isn't correct, and so our sales pitch needs to counter that perception.

Be smart with your pricing structure
A big pitfall of pricing a product or service can be that businesses get a little bit one dimensional in their thinking. Some industries will jump straight to their normal way of doing things, when there might be another way to look at pricing the same product or service that could generate more sales and increase revenue. Law firms, for example, will religiously price by an hourly rate, rather than going to a project based approach. That's just an example of course, but every business should at least go through the thought process of whether the way they are pricing could be done differently. Should you have multiple levels of products or services? Should you bundle groups of products or services? Should you offer discounts? Can you run a recurring revenue system instead of a one off fee approach? You might end up back where you started - but at the very least going through this thought process should get you closest to the pricing scenario that works best for you.

Behind the curtain - 543's practical example
As always, we like to be pretty transparent in what we do, so we thought we'd delve into how we've reached our pricing structures and the thought processes we went through. These will be different for everyone, but hopefully they at least give a real world example when setting your own pricing:

Cost - starting at the start, we had a good understanding of what our actual 'money spent' costs were. For us, that's everything from advertising, to office equipment and all the software we need to build a website. What we realised was because of our processes and some smart decisions we've made in terms of website platforms we use, we sit at the lower end of the costs scale - so pricing largely was dictated by 'our time'.
Research - straight away we realised that there is a HUGE range of pricing when it comes to website design. Going like for like, we identified that we could be about a third to a half the price of our competition and wanted to be in that 'affordable' place in the market.
Our customer - initially we had a clear customer in mind - the small to medium sized New Zealand business. We knew alot of these companies (especially startups) didn't have huge amounts of funds available to invest in a website, so we wanted to offer a service that could cater to them. As time went on, we've had a pretty constant level of 'surprise' at our low pricing though, so we've come to understand that those businesses are still willing to invest a little bit more for a high quality site.
The perception - as mentioned, when we first hit the market, our pricing was seen as so low that the product was perceived as being 'cheap'. That's something we wanted to avoid, and (along with our costs increasing as we grew), we eventually raised our prices slightly to counter that. In doing so, we still stuck to the thought process above (being the 'affordable' option), but we wanted perception and our pricing to match our higher quality product more.
Pricing structure - this was something we um'd and ah'd over for a while. We contemplated charging a client more and spreading that increased fee over monthly payments for a year or two. We also looked at bundling up some of our other services with a website design package. In the end we figured that alot of our client's wanted choice, and so our focus was allowing flexibility in letting them choose what they wanted. Initial cash flow was also really important, and we didn't want to get bogged down doing alot of work now, that the client was only paying for in a year or two. It's still something we constantly consider, and we definitely think it's a valuable exercise for any business.

It's important to realise that each business will have a slightly different approach to setting their pricing. Some of our competitors (who we have immense respect for and will sometimes even refer clients to) are in a completely different price bracket to us because of things like cost structures and the segment of the market they want to be working with. We all have slightly different approaches to business and those different approaches can work for different companies. The important takeaway should be that it's always worth having a look at what you and your competitors are doing with pricing - and it's always OK to have an experiment and make a change.

Facebook filling the newsfeed

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 09:38:07 GMT

Facebook social media news

Since 2019 has kicked off in earnest, anyone that follows tech news will have seen Facebook popping up in their newsfeed very regularly. It's been a busy month for the company, with them making a number of announcements about changes and new products coming throughout 2019. Below are a few of those announcements that caught our attention - and may be useful to know as a small business owner doing any sort of social media campaign or Facebook marketing .

Whatsapp , Instagram & Facebook Messenger to work together
A few clickbait style headings earlier this week announced that Facebook was "merging" Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger. While there is some truth to that statement, the changes aren't quite as comprehensive as a full merger. In a nutshell, the plan is to make the underlying structure of the messenging parts of those apps work together. So for example if you have Facebook Messenger and your friend has Whatsapp, you'd still be able to message them directly. More importantly, that messaging is all going to have end-to-end encryption (starting with Facebook Messenger). So you can rest a bit easier knowing your messaging is safe from prying eyes.

Whether this is a sign of a bigger merger to come in the future will be interesting to see, but given Instagram's popularity, it seems unlikely that the platforms will be merged into some form of 'super' Facebook app.

Pages & Groups may be closed before they full violate policy
With all the recent 'fake news' and click baiting that has been coming through the Facebook platform, they've decided to tighten up their protocols by adding a 'Page Quality' tab. This tab will basically tell you as a page owner if your content is being removed or demoted because it is false, partially false, or has a false headline. The idea behind it is to eliminate more misleading content from the platform. In addition to this, the site is going to start banning Pages which are being used to share content that has originally been pulled from the site. For example, if you have two pages and one page is banned or has a post removed, this new policy means you really shouldn't then go and share that same content on the other page. They are calling these 'proactive removals'.

"Scam" button may be on the way
After seeing a few celebrities faces being used by scam posts on Facebook, the company has responded by announcing they will be aiming to launch a scam reporting button to posts - initially in the UK. Again, this whole roll-out of announcements certainly seems to be targeted at improving the trustworthiness of posts on the site.

Run your petitions through Facebook
In an attempt to be seen as more of a platform for social good, Facebook has announced a new feature called "Community Actions". If you have a cause for good, you'll be able to create that cause in Community Actions, tag relevant authorities & government bodies, and the public will be able to one click "Support" that cause, as well as run discussions etc within it. Like alot of things these days, the company will be testing the service in the USA and we'll be curious to see how well they are able to moderate the Community Actions that are posted. Will this just become another feature used negatively by the internet?

SUMMARY: How does this all affect your business?
Like most changes in the online space these days, the changes that Facebook are looking to bring quality to their product. Trustworthiness and reliability are the main focus, so if you continue to create genuine, original and truthful content, then you won't need to worry too much about the changes impacting your page.

People in front of illustration showing good search engine results

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 09:36:30 GMT

How to perform well in Google in 2019

As machine learning gets smarter and smarter, and Google's algorithm continues to evolve, it's going to be an interesting year for maintaining a strong online presence in 2019. Gone are the days of hustling the search engine by stuffing your page with keywords and hoping that sees it pop up the search results. Here are our top few thoughts on what search engine optimisation is going to mean in the new year and how you can keep performing well on Google .

A positive reputation online is the new word of mouth
Online reviews for businesses are becoming increasingly important in picking up work for companies. A highly reviewed business across platforms like Google & Facebook, as well as industry specific sites like TripAdvisor and the likes will see it's success breed success. Not only do those positive reviews influence a customer's decision making process, we've seen them increasingly help out from a search engine perspective.

The humanesque brain of the algorithm
As Google has evolved, it's AI capabilities are making it closer and closer to a human in it's ability to recognise original and valuable content. What that means for website owners, SEO specialists and content creators is that it's important to invest time in uploading quality content to your website and social media platforms. Automatically generated articles or regurgitated stories are falling to the wayside - so having a quality content creator on your team is going to be increasingly important.

The basics still apply
While the old days of keyword stuffing on websites is gone, the basics of white hat search engine optimisation continues. If you want to do well on Google, you'll still want to get a few things right. Say the right thing in the right places, make sure your site is technically well built and is optimised for speedy and mobile friendly use, and you'll be off to an excellent start.

Be social - in a way that's appropriate for your business
If you want to do well in search results, you should also want to be doing well on social media. In a perfect world you'd have multiple social media channels all engaging different audiences. Small businesses often don't have the time to be able to implement that sort of time, so consolidate your effort and focus on the platforms that suit your business. Getting your world out regularly and people engaging with your brand can definitely have a positive impact on search results.

E-Commerce Sales Post Christmas

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 09:50:45 GMT

Getting e-Commerce sales post Christmas

As another frenetic year of business comes to an end, companies of all sizes will be looking to their sales and trying to understand how they can maintain or increase them as the holidays roll around. While those of you who run a brick and mortar store operation see hordes of customers come in store on Boxing Day, that trend isn't as much of a guarantee online. Remembering that online stores have the benefit of an upsurge of customers across Black Friday and Black Monday, there is certainly an art to remaining relevant online over the holiday period. Nowhere is that more prominent than in New Zealand, where our beautiful summer calls us away from our computers and out to the beach!

The first thing to understand about the post Christmas period is that it's not just about Boxing Day. It's always a good strategy to think of Boxing Day as the first day of a month long sales and marketing campaign. Your customers will be hunting around and expecting sales on Boxing Day, but their spending can continue into the New Year if you strategise correctly. With that in mind, sit down and come up with a bit of a plan that keeps your offering interesting for the whole month. For example, start the hype for Boxing Day early (so customers are looking forward to sales that are on the way), hammer those sales hard on Boxing Day, then get inventive with your offerings for the rest of the month. Think about different deals which might suit a New Year promo, as well as other ways to engage and reward your customer base.

To give you an idea of what strategies do work over the period, Big Commerce released some interesting stats on where sales came from amongst a group of surveyed companies. What the data shows is that there are definitely a number of ways to skin a cat, and that varying different offerings across the course of the month can let you have success in different ways.

Promos & Discounts - increase in sales Price discounts: 66.26%

Free shipping with minimum order: 44.44%
Flash sales: 40.12%
Free shipping: 25.51%
Product bundling: 23.66%
Buy-One-Get-One: 13.99%
Other: 12.76%
Expedited or same-day shipping: 11.11%

Of course if you don't get people to your website or store to see the above promos, you're going to be struggling to have any customer base at all. Thankfully, Big Commerce also took a look at where website traffic was coming to generate sales. Importantly, they noted that about 64% of sales were coming through companies websites (with 24.7% through brick and mortar stores). Remembering the data is from 2017 (and players like Instagram have definitely increased in prominence in 2018), below is a snapshot of what their data reveals.

Facebook: 51.61%
Email campaigns: 51.2%
Instagram: 29.32%
SEO: 24.9%
Google Shopping: 25.3%
Google Retargeting: 13.25%
Other: 9.64%
Pinterest: 9.44%
Trade shows: 8.84%
Influencers: 8.03%
Twitter: 6.83%
Print: 6.22%
SEM: 3.82%
Affiliates: 3.21%
Radio: 2.61%
TV: 2.01%
Podcasts: 0.6%

So what would we do?
In our view having a clear, sustained plan over the holiday period is key. Making last minute decisions on promotions probably isn't going to happen as you get busy over Christmas, so start your lead in to Boxing Day pre Christmas and have a clear idea of what you are going to do. Be varied with your offers and specials, be inventive, and look to a range of media channels to get people to your site. Facebook advertising, Instagram posts, e-newsletter campaigns, solid Google advertising and SEO will all definitely help you start 2019 in style.

What is an SSL certificate and why should you have it?

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 09:54:09 GMT

Getting an SSL certificate for your website

What is an SSL certificate?

In a nutshell, an SSL certificate ensures that your users data (think contact forms etc) is handled over a secure network. Basically an encrypted link is formed between the server and the person using your website. It means that forms, credit card details and other important information is kept safe from 'eavesdropping' as that data travels between the user on your site and your server.

Why should I have one on my site?

Beyond the obvious benefits of keeping your own site secure, an SSL certificate provides your users a higher degree of trust in your site and your product. Currently, a padlock in their browser let's every user know that your site is secure. On top of that, Google has always favoured those sites that take security seriously - so if you are serious about performing well in search results , having an SSL certificate is increasingly crucial. As of July 2018, that punishment from Google for non-secure sites is getting harsher and harsher.

Where'd the green lock go?

Because Google believes that a secure website should be the norm, not the exception, they've moved away from giving a 'green' padlock to secure sites. Rather, a secure site has a grey padlock while an insecure site will increasingly have the red explanation point and "Not Secure" alert.

How much does it cost?

The type of SSL certificate you have and who you are purchasing can change the price of an SSL certificate dramatically. In the past it has been a significant expense, but recently a number of providers have started to offer free SSL certificates. 543 agree's with Google's approach in making 'secure sites the norm', so every website we create and host comes with a free SSL certificate.

"But I want my logo bigger!"

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 09:56:29 GMT

"But I want my logo bigger!"

After putting hundreds of websites live for our clients throughout New Zealand and the Pacific, we've seen a few comments regularly come up when we put our first design draft together. One of the things we often hear is "make our logo bigger" - an understandable request, but one which is not necessarily best practice when it comes to design in general.

It's not about the logo - it's about the brand

One of the first things to understand before looking at logo sizes and placement is that your logo by itself is not your 'brand'. A good logo might become synonymous with a brand (the golden arches for example for McDonalds), but there is alot more that goes into creating a brand than just the logo.

If you think of one of New Zealand's big brands - "The Warehouse" for example - you'll start to get an understanding of why a logo only makes up a very small part of branding. The Warehouse and their 'big red sheds' bring up certain thoughts straight away - affordable, probably the lowest price you'll find for an item in New Zealand stores, and a money back guarantee. To be honest, I struggle to even visualise the Warehouse logo now as it has changed over time, but I suspect The Warehouse marketing team wouldn't be too upset by that. If a customer can name all those important aspects about the store, but not visualise the logo, then the brand is still a whopping success.

So how big should the logo be?

With the above in mind, whenever we are creating a website or any marketing collateral's, we will always think about the broader brand and messaging that we should be conveying. If a logo takes up half the screen, that's a missed opportunity to explain your products, or values, or convey a message to the customer. There is no strict rule on logo size, but it needs to balance against the rest of the page and messaging. If you take a look at some established companies logos, you'll quickly notice that they are often only 20-30px in height and don't take up much space on the page at all. That seems counter intuitive to alot of small businesses (and as a small business owner, you will probably want to go a little bit bigger than that), but the reality is that the smaller your logo, the more space available to display your product, services and messages.

You'll also need to consider the style of your logo and style of your site/marketing materials. Taking 543's logo on this website for example, we use a square logo in a sidebar menu. That sidebar menu takes up a bit more space than a conventional navigation menu would, but it also gave us the look that we were hoping for (and an easily navigable site). Because we have a square icon, we needed to have it a little bit larger than we would usually recommend - but that is balanced out by the navigation menu - and if you head to the homepage, you'll see that our messaging dominates the first drop.

Every site is different, and often logos are a different sizes and shapes, so there is no firm rule on how big you should have your logo - but as a general rule...think smaller rather than bigger.

In a (small) nutshell...

When it comes to logos - bigger is not better
Think about the entire brand
A smaller logo creates more space for your product and messaging
Think about the customer - do they really want to look at your giant logo?
Have confidence in your products and services, but if you need any more convincing - check out the big companies globally and you'll see that smaller logos are definitely the trend.

Don't forget to contact us if you have any questions at all about getting your brand, logo and website up and running.

Changing times for NZ payment gateways

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:01:01 GMT

Choosing a New Zealand payment gateway

As a website design business we are in a lucky position where we sometimes start to see big industry shifts early in the piece. One area that is currently seeing rapid change and advance is how we as businesses receive our money. Traditionally, any e-commerce store has needed some sort of third party payment gateway to accept payments. The likes of Payment Express and the big banks have dominated that space for many years, but recently the likes of PayPal , Square and Stripe have all started to take more of an interest in New Zealand and the options for kiwis are set to grow rapidly. More options means more competition, and that has to be a good thing, particularly as the new players to the market bring different pricing methods with them.

Most recently, we have seen that some of these online payment gateways are looking to expand their services to also offer ‘Point of Sale’ services (the POS in Eftpos - the ability for stores to take payments in person). The big mover in this space originally was Square . The basic premise of Square was to change the payment industry – bringing credit card processing to physical stores at a lower price point than the current terminal setups, letting you integrate payment methods with something as simple as your iPad. They extend that service to online payment gateways and their software basically becomes an all in one sales package for stores – with features that include inventory management. The big downside for us kiwis at the moment is that while we can use some of Square’s features (by coupling it up with Xero), they aren’t offering credit card processing in our little corner of the world just yet. That said, Australia is offered that service, so in our opinion, it won’t be long until Square does make it to our shores – and a bigger shake up to the industry takes place.

Running alongside Square in the online payment gateway space is Stripe (a company we have profiled before when we compared Stripe and PayPal ). Stripe entered the fold as an alternative to online payment gateway providers – sitting somewhere in between Payment Express and PayPal in how it worked. They aimed to have the simplicity of PayPal in setup, but operate more like the conventional payment gateways in that they focus on online store payments (as opposed to peer to peer payments). As of yesterday, Stripe has announced that they are now moving into the Point of Sale space as well. Like everything they have done, Stripe’s offering is more targeted at developers, so you should expect to see it rolled out and packaged up with ‘3rd parties’, but either way it is very exciting news for businesses and consumers. Stripe is already in New Zealand with it’s online credit card processing, and while the POS system is only being launched in America at this stage, this is another big ‘watch this space moment’.

The final area to keep an eye on in NZ will definitely be the ‘after pay’ space. Australia in particular has seen that style of payment gateway explode, and from where we are sitting, each part of the world is starting to jump on that bandwagon to a lesser or greater extent. As it becomes adopted globally, expect to see these types of systems being offered more readily in platforms such as Weebly, Wix and SquareSpace – the consumer focused website and e-commerce options.

However the next few months pan out, it’s certainly going to be an interesting time for New Zealand business owners as more payment gateway and POS options land on our shores. We will certainly be keeping an eye on Square, Stripe and PayPal in particular – as we are increasingly eager to see easy to access, lower cost and integrated payment solutions made available.

How to work and travel

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 10:11:47 GMT

How can you work and travel?

In a week or so myself (Jamie Twigg - founder of 543 Design) and my partner are hopping on an Air New Zealand flight to Hong Kong before Cathay Pacific whisks us off to Europe for a two month working adventure. Over the next couple of months I'll try to give an idea of how we manage to balance the working travel life, and in this blog we look at how you can make it happen for yourself.

How do you get the time off?

Most people reading this will be employees wondering how travel for a couple of months without leaving their full time job. The first thought that springs to mind is 'my boss would never give me that much time off'. All we would say is there is no harm in asking - and in asking the right way. It can be a real benefit to a company keeping you on the job in a small way while you are away. Would your work rather lose you completely for 4 weeks, or have a few hours work coming in from you every day for 8 weeks? It's a win win - you get a trip, come back happy and refreshed, and the workflow continues to flow uninterrupted. So figure out how much leave you have, how long you want to travel, then split the difference into part time work over the whole trip.

The other option of course is figuring out how you can work for yourself. Whether you start your own company and manage others from afar, or contract/freelance in your chosen field, the end result means a great deal more flexibility in travel. There is plenty of risk in going out by yourself, but also plenty of upside. Most desk jobs can be done remotely these days - you just have to find the niche/aspect of your industry that isn't geographically tied, and base your work around that. If you decide working remotely while you travel is an absolute must and can't figure out how you could make it work in your industry...then there's always a change of career!

Where can you go?

You've got your time off...now it's time to pick where to go. If you're going to continue working, the golden rule is find an internet connection when you need it. You are going to be fairly useless halfway up Mt Everest, so make sure to plan your work around any internet dead spots on your travels. We're heading to Europe this year, so it shouldn't be an issue, but we still look very closely for that little wifi symbol whenever we are booking accommodation. In that regard, booking.com has been an absolute godsend.

Also just have a little think about time-zones for when you are working while travelling. Being on the other side of the world can actually be fantastic - all the communication comes to you overnight, which means you can get up in the morning, respond, push out a couple of quality hours of work, and then in the evening be available for New Zealand as they come online. So long as you communicate well about when you'll be in touch - everyone is very understanding.

How does it work day to day?

In reality when you are travelling you want to get out and experience the world. You want to spend your days sight seeing and chatting to locals. You want to try new food and experience new things. You definitely don't want to end up locking yourself in a hotel room all day to work. It's crucial to find a balance:

Be smart with your transit. Airport lounges, trains, and even planes now give you the ability to jump online and crunch through some work while you travel. Make the most of that hour or two on a train between Italy and France and fire out some emails.
A couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours at night make a huge dent in your workload. It's amazing how much you can get done in an hour or two before you get out into the world.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. If you know you are going to lose internet access for a few days, make sure people know that. Much better that than arriving to 100 emails from the same person trying to get hold of you.
Be efficient. Think of any time you spend reading the news, talking with colleagues, having a break, or procrastinating at the office. Strip that out of your day and you'll find that the 'concentrated' periods of work you do while travelling mean your productivity actually shoots up.
Lastly - have fun. Travel should be enjoyable, so if you had been planning on doing work at a particular time but an amazing opportunity comes up - take the opportunity and just be sure to get that work done another time. You'll always remember that balloon ride over Turkey, but probably not the 500 word email you didn't get to send out that day.

But OMG...the cost!

Travel isn't cheap. Unless a fantastic airline swoops in and upgrades you to Business Class (*wink* *wink* Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific social media teams who are so on the ball they've read this far...) - you're going to end up forking out a fair amount of coin as you travel. It sounds incredibly dull, but planning really is the key here. We've known our trip has been coming for months now, so booked most of our accommodation and travel early, and have spent those months paying for it. That means that when we take off, food and entertainment are all that's left to cough up for. Ultimately, having regular pay cheques continuing to come in while we travel is going to be one of the best things about the work/travel experience...but if there is one thing that I've learnt in past trips that I've worked on...a little hard work and planning before the trip goes a LONG way.

The tools we are using...

Find out more about the travel tools and working setup we have for our trip in our next blog >>>

Google is at it again...

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:04:39 GMT

Google Algorithm Updates

In the topsy turvy world of search engine optimisation, there is one constant – Google will update their algorithm. Over the last couple of months in particular, there have been a constant stream of updates to Google’s search brain, giving SEO specialists plenty to ponder as they update their client’s sites and make sure they keep hitting the top of the search results. Below is a brief summary of some of those changes, and what they might mean for your website.

Mobile First
Way back in March of this year Google announced that after over a year of testing they were ready to start migrating sites over to the ‘mobile first’ search ranking. Initially they started with a smaller number of sites – those that followed the mobile first best practices well, but over the last month or so we have seen all our clients sites be pulled into that mobile first indexing. If you have a Google Search Console account for your site, you should have received a notification saying your site was now being looked at on ‘mobile first’ when it comes to search results, and if you haven’t got that Search Console account, it’s probably fair to assume that your site is now included.

What that means for everyone with a live website is that having a well optimised mobile site is increasingly important now. While your desktop site will still be adding to your site’s ‘search juice’, your mobile site is now a big priority. So – if you haven’t got a responsive or mobile site yet – get one now. In fact – contact us and we’ll help you build one!

Speed Update
In July, Google announced another update that shows the importance of having a well optimised mobile site. The July change focusses on a site’s speed – so the quicker you can get your site going the better. Initially, the change is only going to affect the mobile search rankings of the slowest sites on the web, but beware that this update is going to expand out to all sites.

Practically, the main ways to speed up your site are to have optimised code (javascript and CSS), and have quick to load images. While a layperson probably can’t do a huge amount about optimising their sites code (although services like Cloudflare can certainly help with that), what you can do is make sure you don’t have lots of huge images on your site. Keep the size as small as possible (the biggest image we ever put on a website is 1600px width – and even then that’s only for full screen images), and find a good image compressing tool to make sure your image file size isn’t unnecessarily big. It’s very unlikely you’ll ever hit a 100% speed score on Google’s tests (especially on mobile), but do your best to make the site run quickly.

The ‘Medic’ Core Update

The final big change which has come in the last few months was a broad core update to Google in August. As always, Google never tells us exactly what an update like this changes, so there is a little bit of educated guess work that goes on in the search engine community. From the data that has been shared, it looks like the update has mainly affected “Your Money, Your Life” sites – basically those sites that give medicinal and financial advice. That said, a few e-commerce, educational and automotive sites also took a bit of a hit. The big focus seems to have been on trustworthiness – with the new update pushing those sites it deems more trustworthy up the rankings.

Practically, the biggest thing to be done here is just to monitor what has happened to your site. If you’ve stayed reasonably steady in the results, then the update probably hasn’t affected you. However, if you have taken a hit and are in one of those industries we mentioned above, you need to sit down and give your site a solid appraisal. Think about best search engine practices, but also have a think about why Google may not find your site trustworthy.

All in all it’s been a big few months for search engine changes and updates. These updates serve as a good reminder of the benefit of at the very least monitoring your search results, but more importantly optimising your site and being responsive to any changes.

Remember to get in touch with us if you have any questions about search engine optimisation .

Working connected in Europe

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 10:08:02 GMT

Choosing a European sim card

The European Sim Card & European Wifi verdict

As they say, The proof is in the pudding, and following on from our last blog on travelling and working , it seems pretty important to do a follow up to update what has and hasn’t worked in terms of staying ‘connected’ on the move. We’ve been through the UK, France, Italy and the Netherlands so far and below is a brief summary that should help you decide on how you’ll best stay connected for work in Europe.

The SIM Cards
As mentioned in our previous article, we purchased a couple of different SIM card options to let us transition from country to country in Europe. All the SIM cards we purchased have been a rip roaring success – with pretty solid coverage wherever we have gone and a relatively easy set up. In a month we have used between 3GB and 5GB of data each (with our accommodation wifi being used wherever we can). We haven’t really used the phone or text capabilities of the SIM cards, so can’t comment on them, but it is nice to know they are there if we need them.

Prepaidzero – the SIM card we got from Prepaidzero was 5GB, which was pretty perfect to us as our main device. Despite saying on the site you aren’t able to tether from your phone with the data pack we grabbed, we didn’t have any problems using the phone as a mobile hot spot. The SIM card arrived in New Zealand reasonably promptly and had straight forward instructions to setup. However, it did feel a little bit less professional in it’s packaging and website than the WorldSim options, and the ability to login online and check the usage/add data is a bit dated. That said, when we did top up – it worked perfectly, with no need to call support for any help.

World Sim – we grabbed 2 x 4GB SIM cards and a mifi dongle from World Sim. The coverage has been pretty solid and the delivery to NZ was prompt. Despite a few issues in getting the SIM card up and running, the support team were fantastic and have now helped us top up twice. The packaging it comes in is professional, and the site has a great login area. Again, we didn’t have any problems tethering off this SIM card despite the site saying otherwise. The mifi dongle has been pretty handy as a backup, but we have barely used it.

*Note on both: check exactly where you are going and if the sim card has coverage there. Monaco for example was a complete dead spot.*

Overall – the Prepaidzero sim has been far more reliable and we haven’t had to use their support at all. It’s essentially been seamless. It also came with a bigger data package. Unfortunately we were only able to top up in 3GB increments – and the packages only last a month – but despite WorldSIM looking more professional, Prepaidzero was definitely our winner.

Internet and working on trains
Honestly – from our experience don’t plan on having anything that resembles decent internet on European trains. While they all promise a wifi connection, we’re yet to come across one that works consistently enough to work online. You’ll get a spurt of connection here and there which is fine for picking up emails, but as a general rule you’ll be without an internet connection. That said, I’m drafting this blog offline on a train, so if you plan to have work that doesn’t need an internet connection you’ll be able to use that transit time well.

Accommodation wifi
Happily, we’re yet to stay in accommodation that hasn’t offered free wifi. That was obviously a criteria of ours when booking our stay, and it’s been a godsend. We’ve had our mifi bundle as a backup, but when you are staying below cliffs in somewhere like the Amalfi coast and don’t have a cell signal, then having wifi at your accommodation is an absolute must. The quality of that wifi connection has varied significantly – for the most part it has been quick enough for us to do our work, but not quick enough to stream videos. That has meant some of the online elements of web design has taken a bit longer than usual – but on the whole it’s been pretty good.

In a nutshell
From day one of our travels we’ve been hugely thankful for our SIM cards. For things like checking train schedules and browsing restaurant choices, through to replying to emails and being able to call back to NZ on Skype, the SIM cards have been invaluable. That little bit of forward planning in ordering a European wide sim card has been really beneficial, and the same goes with making sure a hotel has wifi (and air conditioning!). A tiny bit of pre trip planning that is definitely making working and travelling a much more viable and enjoyable experience. Our advice – get a Prepaidzero sim before leaving New Zealand.

The must-have work and travel essentials

Sat, 23 Jun 2018 10:09:15 GMT

Work and travel essentials

It's almost time to take off, so we're ready to pack our little working office into a backpack and get going. After weeks of research we are really happy with the setup we have for travelling and working in Europe. Above you can see how compact it all is, and below are what we think are the tools that will make your work and travel life a whole lot easier.

A LIGHTWEIGHT LAPTOP
OUR PICK: Acer Travelmate X
Having a nimble computer that doesn't weigh a whole lot is crucial for your travel adventures. You want it to be slim, robust and preferably speedy - particularly if you need to be doing a bit of design work on it. We've gone for the Acer Travelmate X for a few reasons. First up, it's got an aluminium shell - that means it's going to be able to take a bit of wear and tear on the road. It's really slim and lightweight, but it also has a screen that is big enough for us to work on. It's not got the grunt to run games...but in terms of power, it suits us just fine. We should note we aren't huge fans of Apple products - but I'm sure there will be someone reading this right now screaming at the screen that there is a better Apple option out there. That's a personal preference (and budget) thing, so for all of these items, have a research around and find what best suits you. A shout out to our friends at Laptops R Us for tracking the Acer Travelmate down for us.

A BRILLIANT TABLET
OUR PICK: Sony Xperia
For some people this won't be an absolute must, but for our type of work it's AMAZING to be able to have multiple monitors running. We've installed an app called "SpaceDesk" onto our Xperia tablet and Acer laptop, and that let's us use the tablet as an additional monitor to the laptop (great for when we want to compare designs on the fly). It was super easy to install/use, and is a nifty way to make you feel like you have a full office setup while you are travelling.

A FLATPACK MOUSE
OUR PICK: Microsoft Surface Arc
We picked this little bad boy up from Noel Leeming and it is just incredible for stashing away in your laptop case or backpack. The whole mouse flattens down to the size of a cellphone and clicks back into the arced mouse shape when needed. It's not as functional as the full size mouse we use at our office, but in terms of transportability, it beats the pants off the mini travel mouses you see floating around.

A SIMPLE LAPDESK WITH A MOUSE PAD EXTENSION
OUR PICK: Aidata Lapdesk
This was surprisingly difficult to find! We were looking for something with a bit more sturdiness than the Aidata option, but the retractable mousepad was absolutely crucial in our mind. In the end the Aidata doesn't look the prettiest, but it's functionality is fantastic. It's light, slim and let's you sit that laptop and mouse on your thighs wherever you are working. Perfect for those quick airport lounge stopovers.

A DURABLE CELLPHONE AND CASE
OUR PICK: Sony Xperia XZ1 in a tough cover
This phone isn't particularly special for travel (it doesn't have dual sim cards), but it's our current work phone and is really durable in it's case. Adding gorilla glass helps, but in reality, any modern, unlocked, cellphone would fit the bill.

ALL OF EUROPE SIM CARDS
OUR PICK: We aren't sure yet - PrePaidZero or WorldSim
We a b solutely need data while we are travelling - not just for the actual work and email side of things, but also for a cost effective way to receive and make phone calls back to New Zealand. Roaming with an NZ company was out of the question and we change countries so rapidly that getting a local sim card wasn't an option either. In the end we've grabbed sim cards from both PrePaidZero and WorldSim and will see which works best/is the most reliable in the various countries we are in (watch this space). We'll be setting our call forwarding to go through to Skype - so our NZ numbers will still be active and we can pick the call up using data (without spending a bucket load).

A MIFI DONGLE
OUR PICK: Huaweii E5573
Unfortunately, the above sim cards won't allow for tethering from our phones, so as a backup option for our laptops when we are away from wifi we've picked up a little mifi dongle (portable wifi). It fits in our pocket, so we can take it anywhere and stay connected.

A LAPTOP BACKPACK
OUR PICK: Everki Flight Laptop Backpack
This was a fantastic buy from Mighty Ape . With a fleece lined pouch for both your laptop and tablet, as well as pockets for all your pens, mouse, water bottle and cables, it's perfect for a regular work traveller. It's simple design is professional, and it has plenty of space for extra items. Highly recommended.

A TRUSTY PAD AND PEN
Nothing beats having a pad and pen on you for those moments of inspiration, or in our case...for jotting down checklists...

THE NEXT STEP
The next step for us is going to be finding someplace to do a little bit of work in Auckland Airport as we head for our first stopover in Hong Kong on the way to Europe. We'll be putting these items through their paces even more as the trip continues, so keep an eye on the blog for any updates for big winners, or big losers along the way!

GDPR - the short version

Tue, 29 May 2018 10:16:55 GMT

The GDPR - European Privacy

If you haven’t been bombarded with emails about the GDPR recently – you’ve obviously been out of cellphone reception. If you haven’t had the time to read through some of those articles, here’s our quick overview of the GDPR, what it is, and how it relates to both New Zealand and 543 Design’s Weebly built sites.

What Is it?
The General Data Protection regulation is Europe’s answer to protecting their citizen’s data. Basically if you provide a service or product to anyone from Europe – you’re going to need to comply. It kicked in on 25 May 2018.

The key takeaways:

It applies to any company that handles any data of persons in the EU – regardless of if that country is based in Europe or not.

You’ll need consent to conduct electronic direct marketing – but as a New Zealand company you’ve needed that for a while now anyway.
Get it right, because penalties can be up to 4% of a companies annual global turnover and €20 million.
People in Europe have the ‘right to be forgotten’ – so if someone tells you not to keep their data – get rid of it.
You’ll need a privacy policy on your website.
Data includes any information that can identify an individual – which includes IP addresses and device IDs

So what do you have to do as an NZ business?
The first question to ask is whether you trade in Europe at all, or get European visitors to your site. If so, then it’ll be worth delving a bit deeper into the GDPR here:
https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection_en

In most cases, the Content Management System and plugins for your site will be managed by global companies who will likely have updated their systems to comply with the GDPR. Think about your website provider, any booking apps you run and your email software, then just double check to see if they have contacted you recently. They should have guidelines on what they have done and what you may need to do.

In a nutshell.
This is a big move for Europe that the rest of the world is now scurrying to comply with, but as a small NZ business, running a 543 Design website, it’s likely there aren’t many steps you’ll need to take right now. If you do think your site has a large European viewership though, please contact us to see if there are any further steps you'll need to take.

Disclaimer: this is just a brief and informal summary and definitely not legal advice!

A couple of months of Google changes

Tue, 29 May 2018 10:14:09 GMT

Google's latest updates

Technology is always changing and one of the tech giants of the world absolutely loves to stay at the forefront of that with it’s search engine algorithms. Recently there seem to have been little tweaks to the Google search result engine monthly, weekly or even daily, so we thought we’d just take a quick look back at April and May, have a look at what changed, and put a bit of context around why having a reliable company keeping an eye on your website and SEO is so important.

The big one came in April, with Google confirming it released a ‘broad core algorithm’ update – something they do reasonably regularly throughout the year. So what did that update do exactly? Google claimed that ‘pages that were previously under rewarded’ would see a benefit in the search results. Google has posted on Twitter that it released a “broad core algorithm update” this past Monday. In reality, that saw things like tabloid newspapers lose places, while digital first publishers pop up the rankings. What we can draw from that is that Google is rewarding great, original, online content – so get your blog and article writing into top gear and your site should benefit.

May saw Google confirm a smaller, but no less influential update. Five months ago, the company confirmed that they were going to show longer search result snippets (the little paragraph blurb shown under each search result). In May, they reversed that, pushing the average length of a search snippet back towards the 160 characters it used to be. What Google have indicated is that the search engine dynamically generates snippets based on what it considers to be the most relevant information. That may mean it cherry picks from your longer meta description – so there is no big rush to go back and shorten those descriptions.

That’s just a quick peak into the Google search result looking glass, and shows how often search engine results change. We run monthly SEO campaigns at a low cost for some of our 543 Design clients to stay on top of these changes and keep pushing their sites up the rankings. Get in touch if you think you might benefit.

New Zealand tax and your website

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 10:46:12 GMT

Is your website tax deductible?

Like alot of small businesses, our financial year has just come to an end which has meant spending alot of time perusing our books and figuring out what our tax returns should look like and in particular what is deductible and what isn't. Often, one of the big ticket items in the year is a new website build , so it's a really important question to think about where your site sits from an accounting perspective. Remembering we aren't accountants or tax experts at all, below is a bit of a summary of how the Income Tax Act and the IRD look at things.

First up, before you have a website live, you'll need a domain name (website address/url). We organise those for our clients for $45 + GST per annum, however, if you are buying a prominent address (eg money.com), then you might end up paying a considerable sum. The IRD's advice on this one is a domain name is capital expenditure, non-deductible and not depreciable .

The website design itself on the other hand is seen in a slightly different light. It is generally a one off fee and creates a capital asset that may be depreciated . Like other computer software, that rate of depreciation would be 50% diminishing value or a 40% straight line. The tax man basically looks at your website as if it is just a digital asset that will lose value over time. But that raises the question - if you update the site regularly...what happens with those costs?

This is where it can get a little bit tricky. On one hand, regular maintenance /updating of a website is looked at as revenue , while ' upgrading ' a site can be seen as capital . That has a few tax implications, so the courts have clarified it all for us - but there is still a little bit of interpretation involved.

Maintenance includes:Updating content

Adding content to an existing page
Correcting minor bugs
Minor style/format changes
An upgrade includesAdding new features (eg adding e-commerce)
Adding extra pages
Upgrading the CMS or plugins
Completely changing the layout

The last cost to consider with a website is the hosting . This is a bit easier to quantify - being revenue that is deductible . The only grey area may be where you have a website design fee that is integrated into the hosting/maintenance cost. In those scenarios...we'd say a call with the accountant might be in order!

Tax can be a bit of a brain drain at the end of the financial year, but hopefully the above helps. If you want to read up a bit more thoroughly, head to the IRD's site on website and tax at this link .

What is MVP?

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 10:44:46 GMT

Making Minimum Viable Product work for you

If you're just launching a business or have an idea you want to turn into reality, you might hear the letters "MVP" thrown around quite alot. Off the sports field and in the tech world, MVP isn't the most valuable player in the office, it's a bit of a catch cry for doing the least you can to have your idea out in the world - the Minimum Viable Product. That's all well and good - but what is Minimum Viable Product? And why is it so important to a budding entrepreneur or business person?

What is Minimum Viable Product?
In a nutshell, your minimum viable product constitutes the lowest effort and spend you can put in to have a functioning business live. From our end, this is easiest to explain in terms of a website, but in reality the concept expands to the whole business. As a practical example - let's say you run a delivery business and ideally you want custom parcels with your logos on to send your products in. The MVP for that delivery business may be sending the parcels in a more generic package initially - until you have enough sales and proof of business to invest in a custom parcel design. From a website perspective, we can probably explain this in a bit more detail looking at a company that wants to take online bookings.

The website example - online booking
So, let's say you have a hair salon and you want a new website - but don't have a huge amount of money to invest in it. Ultimately, you want to take online bookings in a custom system where clients can specify a whole lot of detail. A good web designer will quickly let you know that a custom booking system is extremely expensive, that the next step down would be using a booking plugin which may have a monthly fee, but the MVP (minimum viable product) version of that site would just use a simple contact form to take the bookings. Eventually you could grow to have that custom booking system, but while your costs are restricted, you'd still be able to test the theory of having online bookings by having a simple contact form that you then use to manually make bookings at your end. It's not perfect - but it does provide proof of concept, without a huge outlay.

Why is MVP so important?
The MVP stage of a budding business provides a huge opportunity to test your idea without over extending your finances early on. You may think that your idea is the greatest in the world, but an idea isn't a business until it has sales - and spending vast sums on your first version of a concept could lead to alot of losses. Chances are your idea is phenomenal, but why not get it out to market and tested in some way first? Sit down, think about what your ideal business/platform looks like, then work backwards to a point where you are satisfied you have enough to go to market, but not so much it will drain your budget on day one. In the above example that thought process would have gone "I definitely want a website and I definitely want to be able to take bookings online. I don't NEED for that system to be automated, customised, or have online payments just yet, so I'll test it in a more basic form on day one and grow."

Now, next time you are standing around a tech hub and someone throws the letters MVP at you, you'll know they aren't about to award a little trophy for the best team player, and you'll be able to verbalise your skin and bones plan to get your idea out to the world!

Guest Post - Weebly versus WordPress in 2018

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 10:54:57 GMT

This month Keiran Reid from Freeparking (a New Zealand web host ) has been good enough to create a guest post on his view of Weebly versus Wordpress for us. 543 creates all our websites in Weebly, so it's great to have this impartial view - and we add our extra thoughts at the end of this blog.

A Guest Post on Weebly versus WordPress

Introduction:
At their core, Weebly and WordPress are both Content Management Systems or CMS’s which let non-technical users edit websites. Both exist in the same basic niche, in that they allow you to create or edit a website, blog or e-commerce store. They both present a range of features to users and have various strengths and weaknesses that we will explore in this article.

Ease of use:

Weebly
As a cloud hosted service through Weebly Inc, getting started entails getting access to an account by either signing in with your username & password, or signing up with a Weebly Cloud provider like 543 Design. The drag and drop interface makes it extremely easy for non-technical website owners to add or edit content, the idea is that you shouldn’t need to touch any code for most changes.

Pros:

The built-in features and drag+drop feature makes it very simple to use out of the box
Weebly provides a great selection of responsive themes included
A Weebly subscription includes paid technical support who are available to assist with technical issues or basic website updates.

Cons:

You are somewhat locked to Weebly, however your site can be exported and moved to another web host in a “static” form, or content (blog posts) exported by logging in

WordPress
Provided as open-source (free) software, WordPress can be installed into any standard web host service. It has been around longer than Weebly and it is known for being the tool of choice when it comes to blogging and eCommerce.

Pros:

The blog interface, ease of use and functionality like post categories, tags and “pretty URLs” is regarded as industry leading.
WooCommerce is simple to setup and many themes are built to cater for an eCommerce store.

Cons:

As a self-hosted site, updates & security patching often need to be managed by the website owner, or a web-developer
Editing page content can be more involved with page content, widgets and themes all having slightly different ways to edit them
Initial setup and installation of WordPress is a more involved process, and usually requires more technical skill

Plugins and integrations:
Weebly:
When you make a website in Weebly, there is an admin backend area. It includes a long list of built-in tools and functionality like an online store, contact form, blogs, maps, images etc. You don’t have to install any Plugins to get a good level of functionality. Weebly manages the entire platform for you, so day-to-day plugin security management and the website unexpectedly breaking are less of a concern.
Pros:

There is a reduced risk of having your website hacked through a vulnerability introduced by a third party plugin.
Weebly provides an App Centre that has a few good apps and integrations available

Cons:

There is less choice in adding additional functionality by Plugins or integrations, in comparison to WordPress

WordPress:
WordPress is an open source website builder, as an open system, there is a lot more freedom for third parties to contribute and extend the system, when they have been doing for years by providing both free and paid “Plugins”. Using the right plugin can add a useful your website’s functionality, but a poorly built plugin can have negative implications for your website’s performance and security.
Pros:

A large selection of available plugins to extend functionality – eg map embeds, contact forms, online shops

Cons:

Security vulnerabilities exist in, and are often introduced by, 3rd party WordPress Plugins
Occasionally conflicts between two or more plugins can arise that breaks some of the website or takes it offline
Adding too many plugins to a WordPress install can add a speed bottleneck and cause your website to perform slowly

Ecommerce:
Weebly
The Weebly Ecommerce platform is designed to make it quick and easy to setup an online shop. It is a great Ecommerce solution for small businesses that need to build a simple online store with a few handy features.
Pros :

Simple configuration without too many options lets you get setup with less customization
Customers have easy access to the target market if they have a Weebly store.
Many features built in that would otherwise be a plugin or custom coding in WordPress

Cons:

Built in payments add a 3% transaction fee on top of your processor eg like Stripe or Paypal.
To avoid the transaction fee you can upgrade to the “Business” plan which can increase hosting costs
Limited eCommerce customization options in comparison to WooCommerce

WordPress:
WordPress, by way of the WooCommerce plugin, is a popular choice for building an Ecommerce website. It is used by many organizations from small one person shops all the way up to large enterprises.
Pros:

Due to a larger WordPress community, you are able to promote your business among that community.
You can accept payment in any form.

Cons:

Without a competent web-developer or technical chops yourself, you may be on your own if any technical issues crop up.

Conclusion:
Weebly is a perfect solution for making small websites quickly, whereas WordPress excels at blogging and eCommerce. With a simplified page editor, and tech support on-call when needed Weebly is a great choice for small businesses who need a great website. In comparison, WordPress can be a good choice if you have a larger project that needs advanced customization.

Both Weebly and WordPress are able to have custom themes developed by a professional web developer. There can also be several other complexities involved in actually getting a website live which may mean you need to seek assistance or get a professional web developer.

543's Thoughts on Weebly v WordPress

From day one, 543 Design made the conscious decision to design in Weebly rather than WordPress. That has given us a unique perspective, and we definitely think that for most small businesses, Weebly is the way to go. In a nutshell:

The drag & drop interface is MUCH easier for our customers and the average Joe to use than WordPress - it's fantastic and our clients constantly comment about how much they prefer it to their old WordPress CMS.
The e-Commerce platform is incredibly easy to integrate and is getting better and better every day. Just this week Weebly added new features like 'reviews on products' and 'sale'/'out of stock' label options.
Blogging is also super simple on Weebly - with tags, search functions and drag & drop editing of blog posts - it's very easy to use.
The centralised system and Weebly continually updating their platform means you don't have to worry about security and patching etc. As of this week, Weebly also offers free SSL certificates - so all our sites now have that option free of charge.
Weebly sites seem to perform well in search results out of the box, but the system also gives access to the source code and other important areas for us to really help with client's search engine optimisation .
Lastly, as a Weebly Cloud developer/designer, we have a direct line to Weebly. That means that we can raise any core issues directly with the CMS provider, and are involved in their discussions on how the platform evolves - it's a great position to be in for our clients.

Weebly really is a fantastic platform and we love working in it. For a really complex build, sometimes we do suggest other platforms, but for 95% of clients out there, it's the ideal fit.

Get in touch with us if you'd like to get us to build your site, or try giving it a crack yourself direct with Weebly.

If you do decide to use WordPress, please get in touch with us and we can recommend a WordPress designer we trust. A big thanks to Keiran from Freeparking (a sister company to our domain provider Discount Domains ) - if you have a WordPress site and are looking for a New Zealand web host - either of those companies would be a great place to start looking. Alternatively, if you want to stay in the 543 eco system, we can also offer you DIY domains and hosting solutions for WordPress and other sites here .

Facebook - changing the game for businesses...again

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 10:57:27 GMT

Facebook's latest updates

Last week Mark Zuckerberg made a huge announcement, one that is likely to have very big ramifications for any business that uses Facebook as a way to reach more customers. It was such a big announcement that Facebook’s stock took a big dive as investors tried to get their heads around what it meant for the social media behemoth. The plan is simple - make our social media feeds more about our friends and family.

The driving force behind the change is Facebook’s desire to bring back more meaningful social interactions to the platform. Over the past couple of years (and particularly through the American election), Zuckerberg has faced increasing complaints that Facebook was causing more social harm than it did good. Besides social media addiction, the platform’s algorithm was mainly serving us up content that confirmed our previously held viewpoints. That wasn’t what Facebook was created to do, and with this latest announcement, they are trying to make our newsfeed far more positive and personal to our actual daily lives.

But what does it mean to businesses? Well, that’s the bad news. Because the newsfeed will be shifting from a focus on ‘topics’ and ‘relevant content’ to ‘meaningful social interactions’, it’s highly likely that a business page’s organic reach will decrease. We believe the emphasis will become less about topics and engagement on page posts, and more about how those posts are shared amongst your friend group. So where currently, if someone who likes cars likes a post, the post might get shown to someone else random who likes cars, in the future, it’ll be more about those posts being shared amongst friend groups. The organic Facebook game definitely just got harder for businesses.

The bigger unknown will be how this newsfeed change affects sponsored content/advertising on the platform. Given Facebook will want to stay profitable, it seems likely that where companies could get great organic reach previously, now they may need to focus their efforts into paid advertising and sponsored posts. The hardest thing to pinpoint right now is how those sponsored posts will be displayed. Will they stick to the ‘relevant content’ policy, or will there also be an element of the new ‘social engagement’ approach applied to the advertising as well?

As the change rolls out we’ll be keeping a close eye on it, but it’s fair to say that this is a major shift in the online advertising world. By making this change now Facebook hopes to become more relevant and important to it’s users – which may mean that it becomes a more powerful tool for advertisers…or it could mean a huge hit for business engagement. At the end of the day it’s businesses that pay the salaries at Facebook, so our view is that businesses natural reach will drop, but their advertising reach will stay steady…but let's just watch this space.

Facebook to punish posts that ask for engagement

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 11:00:12 GMT

Is your Facebook post being punished?

A few days ago Facebook quietly made an announcement that should have pretty big ramifications for both personal and business users of the platform. The social behemoth has set their eyes on 'engagement bait' - those spammy posts that blatantly beg for you to like, comment or share in an attempt to increase engagement and organically get the post seen by more and more people. Primarily, Facebook have heard their users complaints about the increasing amount of 'spammy' posts filling their newsfeed and are going to do something about it - using machine learning to identify these types of posts, stop them from being shown as much and eventually punish those pages that 'systematically' use this tactic.

Facebook started 'demoting' these types of posts earlier this week, but are rolling out the page-level demotion over several weeks to give those of us with Pages the chance to change our behaviour and not be caught out by the new model. What this means practically is that if you do own a Facebook page, you should definitely refrain from any type of 'baiting' type posts:

Vote baiting - involves using the 'reaction' buttons to vote on different options
React baiting - is just asking your followers to use the 'reaction' buttons in some way
Share baiting - begging for your post to be shared
Tag baiting - getting people to 'tag' a friend
Comment baiting - is requesting your users comment in the posts

Recently there has been a real trend for the above type of baiting to be used by businesses for things like competitions and giveaways. These types of posts have always been a little bit borderline, so it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that they'll now likely be punished by the almighty Facebook algorithm!

Our advice - just cut the baiting out of your newsfeed completely. Create content that people are going to want to engage with, click and comment on without the baiting, and you'll not only do better by the algorithm, but you'll also actually be providing your followers with things they WANT to see - which at the end of the day is what social media is all about.

Below are some graphics from Facebook just setting out the various examples of baiting that will be clamped down and you can find Facebook's 'Fighting Engagement Bait' announcement here .

Being a Napier website designer - the pro's and pro's

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 11:08:59 GMT

Napier website design - doing business in the Bay

Over the last few years there has been a real move towards individuals being able to work anywhere for any client on the planet. We are one of the lucky industries that have no real need to be in a certain physical location to do a fantastic job for our clients. As long as we have an internet connection we can build a site or run online advertising for anyone in New Zealand, or across the globe. However, there can be a real sticking point for some clients wrapping their head around how hiring a Napier web design company could work if they are based elsewhere in the country. It's a pretty understandable thought process, so we thought it was worth doing a little blog on how it all works from our end, and the benefits that come along with being based in one of NZ's fastest growing regions.

THE HOW
By email: how we work with our clients varies from company to company. For some, they love just having communication via email, which is all good at our end. They email us a brief, send through examples and changes they want made, and we get those changes made for them with minimal hassle.
By phone: other clients are verbal and would prefer to pick up the phone and chat through their project with us. That works just as well as far as we are concerned. We're more than happy to talk through things and take a brief verbally.
In person: some local clients really do appreciate the face to face, so we often head out and meet up with clients. We get around the country a fair amount to put in a bit of face time if clients would like it - New Zealand is such an easy place to get around these days it's a pleasure heading to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington or wherever we need to go really. There's also the opportunity to Skype or video conference regardless of where we might be based any day of the week - technology is certainly making the world smaller.

THE BENEFITS
The cost: this is the major one. By being based out of the major centres our overheads drop immediately - which means we can pass on those cost savings to our clients. We're also grounded in a more sensible approach to pricing for small businesses, so by choice we'll never push our prices too high.
The people: cities like Napier, Hastings, and the like are built on a backbone of small business. That means that the people tend to have a real street smarts to go with the education they bring back to the Bay. You won't get outrageous plans from 543 for a marketing plan that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars - you'll get a smart, practical and affordable plan that works. We're friendly, helpful and truly motivated to help our clients with realistic advice and budgeting.
The innovation: we're lucky to be based in a city that is constantly innovating. Whether it be events like the Art Deco Festival or growth in the food and beverage industry, the local scene is constantly moving forward. When companies like Kiwibank and Xero identify Napier as a place to bring their business, that's a fantastic way to be surrounded by smart people and smart ideas. The net result for our clients is that we are constantly wanting to move forward for them and for ourselves.
The convenience: it almost seems counter-intuitive to think that an agency outside of your city would be more convenient than one locally - but the reality is it can be. Because 80% of our clientele comes from outside of our home base, we have to have impeccable communication processes in place. We're extremely responsive, and whenever you have an issue we'll be there to answer an email or a phone call. In this regard we've turned the only weakness of being in a different location to the majority of our clients into a huge strength. If you want to feel like you are a top priority - we definitely recommend giving 543 a try.

All in all we love supporting Hawkes Bay business and being a Napier website design company and are incredibly excited to be bringing the passion and professionalism we pride ourselves on to more and more of New Zealand's small businesses, no matter where they are in the country. So whether you're based in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin or anywhere in between, make sure you get in touch with us and have a chat. You'll love our pricing, and will find that using a design/online advertising company outside of your city might be the best move you've ever made for your company.

Cheap website design - what is it?

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 11:11:33 GMT

Cheap website design - is it worth it?

Cheap. It can be a dirty word, but it's also a price level us kiwis all hunt around for daily. When it comes to a service, does cheap mean any worse quality? It's a question that is definitely worth asking - in any product you purchase.

In our mind, the answer to that question lies behind the product or service. If you are purchasing clothing for example, and it is made by the same people, in the same design, just without a fancy label - you'd certainly jump on board and know the lower price was a great deal. When it comes to website design, the same thought process should take place. Why is this company able to offer cheap website design ? In our industry, you're largely paying for one of a number of things:

The software behind the end result
Expertise and skill level
Location & overheads
Man power and hours put in
Whatever value the company has arbitrarily put onto the service/product

The difference between a $1,200 website and $12,000 website will largely fall into one of those categories. If you've got a highly complex development that needs lots of smart software developer hours, then that will bump the price up. But if you're just looking at a reasonably standard informational website, then you really shouldn't be paying an absolute arm and a leg. Just as an example, let's have a look at how 543 gets to our 'cheap' website design prices:

Software: we've chosen a content management system that makes it much quicker for us to build a site. As a happy bonus, it's also really easy for you to edit - and it doesn't compromise on function and looks.
Expertise: websites are what we do everyday - so we don't skimp on that. However, it's a horses for courses scenario, and we obviously don't put a hugely advanced and expensive developer/coder on a simple website. We are smart where we put our resources.
Location: if you outsource overseas you'll get a great deal, but sometimes the results can be dubious. By being based out of Napier we don't pay big city rent and rates, so you get the best of both worlds. A kiwi on the other end of the line, but lower overheads for the business.
Hours put in: we definitely design smart. We don't compromise on quality, but by using a CMS that the average Joe can edit in, we keep our design hours low. We really listen to what our clients want, so don't spend hours doing the wrong design. We also have absolute faith in our ability to produce a great result, so don't charge by the hour.
The price we chose: this is where most of our lower price comes in. We made a conscious decision to make websites truly affordable for small New Zealand companies. We aim to produce high end results at a third the price of our competition - and that's always been our motto. A clear, set fee, no surprises, and a brilliant result.

Personally, we always try to steer clear of that phrase ' cheap web design '. Why? Because the quality of our websites isn't cheap, the result doesn't look cheap, and our clients certainly aren't cheap. Rather, we'd like to think we are the smarter choice. Affordable, friendly, New Zealand web design that gives your company the internet presence it deserves.

Payment Gateways: PayPal versus Stripe

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 11:18:42 GMT

PayPal versus Stripe - which payment gateway should I choose?

As businesses increasingly begin to sell their products and services online, we are getting more and more questions about payment gateways and how you take payment from your e-commerce website.

The first thing to understand is that an online store or e-commerce website is very similar to a physical retail store in some respects. At a physical retail store, you'd walk in, pick a product off the rack, take it to the checkout and either hand over some cash or pay through an EFTPOS/Credit Card machine. The shop owner will be paying someone for the privilege of using that machine (particularly for credit card transactions), so that's while you'll often see stores either charging more for credit card transactions or not offering them at all. Online, it's the same story. A customer will come to your online store, click on the product they want to buy, head through to an online checkout and then provide their credit card details through a payment gateway. That gateway takes care of all the security and the $$ transaction, but as far as the customer is concerned, they've just paid you for the item they are buying. As an online store owner, you'll end up having to pay that payment gateway provider somehow, and how each gateway works for you as the store owner is slightly different in each case. Below are a couple of the options we use both ourselves and with clients.

PayPal
If you've shopped online you've probably come across PayPal at some point. It's globally recognised, has a very good track record, and is very simple to use.

Sign Up - one of the best things about PayPal is that the sign up process is very easy. Answer a few questions and you're basically good to go.
Pricing - PayPal has simplified their pricing in NZ recently - at the time of writing you'll only pay on the transaction (3.4% + 45c per transaction). So if you sold a $10 item online, you'd pay 79c ($9.21 into your pocket). You can find PayPal's fees at this link .
Getting your money - the one downside of PayPal is that you'll need to draw down your money from your PayPal account manually. You'll receive the funds into your PayPal account (less the transaction fee), and they'll stay in that account until you sign into PayPal and make a lump sum withdrawal to your verified bank account.
Integration - integration with the CMS that 543 uses is really simple (just sign in basically), and PayPal works equally well with software like Xero. By creating a PayPal 'bank account' in your Xero reporting software, all the transactions will be recorded and it is super easy to reconcile. You can also connect PayPal up to your Xero invoicing if you want to give the option for any invoices you generate to be paid online.
Other bonuses - because PayPal effectively acts as a bank account, you'll be able to use your PayPal ID to pay for transactions across the internet with other stores. That means no need to add your credit card details over and over again.
PROS - globally recognised and trusted. Super easy to use & integrates easily with Xero etc.
CONS - have to draw funds down yourself. Can be confusing to some users as the PayPal portal gives users the chance to 'sign in'.

Stripe
Stripe is the new kid on the block in New Zealand, but has been established overseas for a while now.

Sign Up - again, Stripe is really easy to sign up for, just make sure to have all your business details ready when you go through the process.
Pricing - Stripe has come into the NZ market lower than PayPal with a per transaction price of 2.9% plus 30c. So if you sold a $10 item online you'd pay 59c ($9.41 into your pocket). You can find Stripe's fees at this link .
Getting your money - unlike PayPal, Stripe will automatically pay your funds across to your bank account (once they have cleared). You'll be able to login and see a full summary of all the transactions, which have cleared and when they are expected to clear and land in your account etc.
Integration - Stripe integrates really well into the payment side of most applications and certainly in the 543 CMS it's a simple matter of signing in. Because Stripe acts more as a direct payment portal, rather than a bank account, it doesn't integrate quite as well as PayPal into Xero. The descriptions that come across into Xero can be a little confusing for reconciliation, but there are ways around this, and we're picking this will improve in the not too distant future. Connecting Stripe up to Xero invoicing is also really easy - and reconciling that when you do connect it is extremely straight forward.
Other bonuses - developers really seem to like Stripe. That means alot of plugins etc accept Stripe, and it's growing really quickly globally.
PROS - payment straight through to your bank account (once confirmed). Easy to use. More in depth reporting and developer functionality. Low fees.
CONS - doesn't integrate into Xero as smoothly as it could.

Other Options
There are a bucketload of other payment gateway providers out there (basically every bank will have some sort of option - Payment Express, PayMark...the list goes on). When you talk to your bank, they'll recommend the one that they use, but they'll all have different pro's and con's. The reason we've looked at PayPal and Stripe are because they are a perfect starting point for small to medium sized businesses. They are robust, easy to use, integrate into the CMS we use effortlessly and only charge per transaction. We've found alot of gateways (particularly with the major banks) charge a monthly fee plus a transaction fee. They'll have other upsides - like payment straight into your account - but the first thing you should always do is chat to your website designer or developer about what will or won't work with the site they are building/have built for you. Technology is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, and while you can mash pieces together to get something to work, it's always best to use gateways and facilities that fit and work well together.

Like anything, do your own research and chat to your designer. Listen to the opinions of the experts, and you're bound to be better off in the long run.

New Websites & Google

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 11:22:00 GMT

Why isn't my site showing on Google?

One of the most common questions we get asked when we put a site live is "why can't I find my website on Google?" It's a natural enough question - we think it's entirely understandable that once your site is live you'll want to be able to find it. Unfortunately, the reality isn't quite as instant as we'd all love it to be!

It's important to remember that while Google is smart, it's still trawling millions of websites every day. It finds those websites, tries to decide what they are all about, then compares them to other websites in similar topic areas to decide which are the most relevant. After doing all of that it decides an order to put the websites into and presents that back to us as our search results. It's very clever stuff.

Step 1:
The first thing that needs to happen is for Google to find your website address and acknowledge your site exists at all. Over time this will happen automatically...in one of Google's many crawls across the internet it'll find your new url/domain/website address and put it into it's database. If you want to speed that process up, you'll need to submit your site to Google using their Webmaster Tools (ask your web designer about these, or just Google "submit site to Google"). If you've got a really unique company name like "Jiggy Jumpy Jobs" and your website url is unique as well ie "jiggyjumpyjobs.co.nz", then pretty much as soon as Google has crawled your site you'll be able to search "Jiggy Jumpy Jobs" and your site will pop up at the top of the list. However, if you have a generic company name or website address (eg "New Zealand Jobs" - newzealandjobs.co.nz), then you'll have to wait longer for your site to appear high in the search results. Why? Because Google will compare you against all the other New Zealand Job websites out there.

Step 2:
Once Google has done an initial crawl and your site has made it into their database, you'll be eager for it to move up the rankings in the important search terms your company works in. So Jiggy Jump Jobs will obviously want to hit the top of that New Zealand Jobs search, because that will get alot more search hits (and potential customers) than just a jiggy jumpy jobs google search. That's where online advertising and in particular search engine optimisation comes in. By saying the right things in the right places and constantly monitoring your website you can try to shortcut to the top of those important results. It's something that can't really be covered in one blog post, and you'll usually need some expert advice on it, but it's definitely worth considering.

The summary and tips

Choose a website url that is going to help you in BOTH the general search terms as well as one about your business. Using 543 an example, "websitedesign.co.nz" would be the perfect generic url, and "543.co.nz" would be really easy for searches looking to find 543 specifically - so we combined the two into "543websitedesign.co.nz". That url gives Google specifics about our company AND the more generic, descriptive search term. If you're a local business, think about including your city or region in the website address as well. As an NZ company, you should also be thinking about using .co.nz rather than .com .
Once your site goes live submit your site to google, yahoo and bing.
Give it a few weeks. Every site takes a bit of time to appear in search results, so patience is a virtue.
Advertise on Google & Facebook early. If you want to cut out the delay in appearing in search results, pay for some advertising so you sit at the top of the pile immediately.
Run a search engine optimisation plan. The monthly cost should more than pay for it further down the line when your site is getting tons of traffic from being at the top of the search list.

Tagging products on Facebook

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 11:24:11 GMT

How to tag your products in Facebook posts

While Google has been launching their ‘posts’ option, Facebook has also been pushing ahead with new sales features for stores on their platform. Recently, you may have noticed retailers having posts that are connected to products – this is Facebook’s big push to become more of a sales arm as well as marketing arm for businesses.

So how does it work? Businesses will increasingly be able to ‘tag’ their products in any posts that they put up on Facebook. That goes as far as creating a video advert with products featured underneath the post. A really good example that has been popping into our newsfeed recently is the Iconic’s use of this tool. To showcase their shoe range this winter, the company created a small video ‘on loop’ of their various shoe styles sliding across the screen. The video itself is clever in that it catches the eye, but more importantly, the company has also linked each of the shoes shown in the video directly below the post – letting the Facebook user click straight through to the Iconic website to purchase a shoe style they like. It’s clever stuff, and something we are picking we’ll see more and more on Facebook.

While it’s likely that the Iconic used some of the more advanced API features that will be beyond a lot of users, small businesses can definitely take advantage of some of the ‘product’ features today. The first thing you will need to do is make sure that products are setup on your Facebook page. Head to your Facebook page and find the ‘store’ tab – then setup your product range on Facebook. With that done, when you create a post you’ll find an option to ‘tag a product’. Simply create an interesting post with your product in and tag the product involved. Done and dusted.

As these social media platforms move forward, it’s really important to stay abreast of the new features available and decide if they will benefit your business. For the retail industry, the ability to tag a product should be a hugely attractive feature, and we’re pretty excited to see how the social landscape will continue to change.

Facebook continues to grow

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:29:05 GMT

Facebook's growth

There has been a lot of chatter recently about the rise and rise of platforms like SnapChat with the younger generation, and that perhaps Facebook might be on the way out. This has obviously led to a lot of companies questioning whether they should be putting focus and effort into running campaigns on the likes of Facebook – perhaps thinking they should be jumping to the cooler, newer platforms.

While it’s a valid thought process, and something to look into, some recent statistics should give small businesses in particular real comfort that Facebook should still be one of their first port of calls for social media posting and advertising. More importantly – it’s actually grown by more the last year than any year since 2012 (17%). Add in that your Facebook adverts can also run on Instagram and it remains the easiest and most effective social media platform for a small business to advertise on.

Why the continued growth? In our view it’s down to Facebook being the best channel for a range of different media types – video, pictures, text and web links. In that regard it also makes it really powerful as a search engine optimisation tool for your website. By cleverly sharing website links and blog posts, you can help with that search juice.

At the end of the day it all comes down to what platform suits your company. Instagram might be spot on if you’re in food or fashion, or SnapChat could have serious appeal if you are running events. All in all though, Facebook remains a strong starting point for small business, and if you haven’t utilised it for your business yet – you might want to think about it.

Graphs and images from Tech Crunch. To read their more in depth look at the stats - click on this link .

Event & special posts on Google My Business

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:26:17 GMT

Posts on Google My Business

If you have your website on Google My Business, earlier this month you may have received an email giving you the opportunity to run specials and deals on your business listing. This is a new feature for most, so we thought we’d just quickly run through how you make those posts, and what they might best be used for.

First the how:

Login to your Google My Business account (if you haven’t got one already – see our article here on getting that set up) and click on ‘Posts’ on the left-side menu when you are in your listing.

You’ll then be given the ability to create a 300 word post with an image…or add an event title with start and end times.
Choose a button to go with the post – from the basic “Learn More” to “Reserve” or “Get Offer”
Publish the post and it will show on your business listing in google search and map results (see how ours looks on mobile in the image on this page).

So why would you use it?
At it’s core it’s just another way to get your key message out there. The idea behind the feature is to let businesses quickly and easily share specials or promotions – potentially even on a daily basis. At the end of the day it’s up to you though, you can showcase your top products, share an event, or even try to get more sign ups to your e-newsletter if that’s your goal.

Should we do it?
The question really is why wouldn’t you do it. It’s free and it’s easy to setup and change. How much you use it will be more the question, and that will all come down to your business time allocation.

Media - the landscape has changed

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:31:06 GMT

Advertising in the modern day

I recently read a fantastic article in the NZ Herald espousing the view that Sky TV is dying and it needs to change it's business model to stay relevant. That's a viewpoint I think alot of New Zealander's believe is true - high prices with limited options isn't a model that works in the current consumer marketplace...it's why Uber stuck it to taxi's and it's why companies like Sky are facing serious challenges from Netflix and the like. It's the new normal and established companies are having to re-invent both their business model and the way they sell themselves. If they are smart they push ahead of the pack - but if they don't embrace change, they can really suffer. The question is...if Sky TV is flailing and struggling - what 'older' companies are making the most of this new media world? We are sure there are plenty out there, but the big winner we have seen of late is Vodafone.

Vodafone is a bit of a monolith in the telecommunications space. They were one of the first companies to enter the mobile world in NZ, but with disrupters like 2Degrees coming along, they now sit in that 'established' business zone which can see a company become stale quickly. Over the last few years they've spent a fair amount of marketing budget aiming to be 'cool' - having cars drift around a course to show how good their 3G coverage is for example - but that's not the marketing that's caught my eye. It's the way they have leveraged off their sponsorship of both the All Blacks and Emirates Team New Zealand that has really shown the value of their digital media teams.

Let's get this straight - leveraging off sponsorship isn't necessarily the easiest sell. How much value is your logo on a boat or on a rugby jersey really going to generate by itself? Sure, you'll get a few more eyeballs on the brand, and that might increase sales, but the real skill of a marketing team will be turning that sponsorship into something engaging and relevant without completely breaking the bank...and I think Vodafone has hit the nail on the head. As a sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand, the Vodafone team was immediately faced with a tough prospect. Sky TV (that quickly fading giant I mentioned earlier) has the rights to the America's Cup. Their penny pinching business model has meant a limited number of kiwis have access to watch the racing, and those that do, have to listen to the American commentary. Enter ETNZ, Vodafone and the other sponsors of the team who have forked out for Peter Lester and Martin Tasker (qualified sailing commentators) to be embedded with the team during their time in Bermuda. Every day pre and post race the reporters go live on Facebook for 20 minutes chatting to team members and giving some real insight into an event that definitely needs an explanation to most of the public. Of course, Martin wears the obligatory Vodafone hat, and just like that the company has incredible, unique and immediate content engaging kiwis and sports fans. Thousands watch those videos every day and they really have tapped into the power of the Facebook live video function. Unsurprisingly, Vodafone has also done similar with the Lions Tour - creating the "Rugby Roadie" which follows a Lions supporter through the entire tour. In fact if you go have a look at Vodafone's page right now it's video after video relating to ETNZ and the All Blacks (with a tiny sprinkling of product pushing). The New Zealand feel good factor couldn't be higher - and most importantly it's fresh, original and exclusive content. In some ways this telecommunications company is beating Sky TV in terms of media coverage of these two huge events - without having to purchase any screening rights...or even any conventional media advertising space.

The big question is how can smaller businesses learn from these campaigns by Vodafone and implement some of the ideas in their own marketing. Obviously Vodafone has stacks of cash to throw around, and we can't all hire a sailing commentator and sponsor the National rugby team! But removing those high dollar signs, there are a few things all businesses can learn in this new media world:

Conventional media has it's place, but it's not the go to any more . I'm sure even the NZ Herald would point to the strength of their new online site in saying that advertising with them online is quickly becoming more effective than advertising in the print media.
Think about where to put the budget . For Vodafone, they have seen the benefit of putting marketing budget into the people on the ground and the content creation side of things - saving money by using Facebook's lower cost per reach rather than conventional media spend.
What worked before...might not work now. This is the Sky TV lesson - even if a business has worked on the same model well for the last 10 years, it might need to be looked at now. For us for example, we can see that consumers want more for less, so we've looked for ways to produce high quality results for lower costs...for you, it might be trying a new system. Just keep moving.
Instant gratification is what consumers are after . As a society our attention spans have got shorter and the 'media minute' is quicker than ever. Keeping your customers and clients up to date really is crucial. That's why live videos at important events can be so powerful - we love to know what's happening as it happens.
The human touch will always work well . Even in a world where we stare at screens it seems like we crave an informal, personal touch in our social media. Stories about individuals help brands connect with the general public - so long as they can relate to them.
Experts are everywhere and we like listening to them . Sometimes businesses forget or underestimate the wealth of knowledge in one area they have - mainly because they work in it day to day. Using and sharing knowledge makes for really great online content.
You don't need to sell all the time . For the most part, social media isn't actually about selling. It's about creating engaging content that people want to see on there newsfeed - so that when you do have something to sell they won't be turned off.

These are pretty simple lessons that most people reading this will already be implementing, but it's always good for a reminder. Credit where credit is due, and I'm personally really thankful for some of the coverage Vodafone is giving these events - hopefully we can all take a page out of their books to push our businesses forward.

Hotjar - visualising how people use your site

Mon, 22 May 2017 11:36:47 GMT

Hotjar - visualising website data

Because we spend every day reading tech articles to keep ahead of the curve, Facebook will often give us 'suggested' posts or pages for tools to help out on websites. We'll tend to give them a test and every now and then one will impress us enough with it's functionality and pricing to start using regularly and recommend to our clients - HotJar seems to fall into that category.

What is HotJar?
In a nutshell, HotJar creates 'heat maps' on your website - showing you exactly where people are clicking, scrolling and moving on different pages on your site. It gives you the ability to quickly understand how people are using your site - which in turn can help you make changes to the site to make it more effective. Below we've given a very brief overview of some of the features and what they do.

The heatmaps
The aspect of HotJar that most people will immediately be drawn to are the heatmaps generated for the site. It shows you how users are interacting with your website design on a computer, mobile and tablet - showing you where they move their mouse, click, and how far down the page they navigate. It can be really intriguing information and if used correctly, should give you an understanding of why your site may or may not be converting into sales. Below are a couple of the heatmaps we generated for our homepage over a few days. What we learned pretty quickly is that twice as many people viewed the site on a computer as a mobile, and next to no-one did on a tablet. That's good info for us - and that stat will no doubt change from industry to industry...but it shows how important the mobile version of a site is. Other than that, what you'll see in the graphics is the attrition rate from the top to the bottom of our single scrolling website. Only about 30% of users make it all the way down to our contact form - which is real food for thought and something we'll put our mind to in tweaking our site in the future.

Heat map of scrolling on the 543 homepage. From red being 100% of people viewing that part of the page, down to the blue area of about 30%.

The 'click' heatmap - you'll see blue spots below where users on the desktop version click on our homepage - giving us an appreciation of how well the site is working.

The other features
HotJar comes with a whole stack of other features that some users will really love. You can choose to have each user's journey on your site recorded. This is a fantastic little piece of insight as you can literally sit and watch where the user's mouse tracks on your page. It's an excellent way to see what parts of the site people may be moving away from, where they are trying to click or move on the page, and just in general get an understanding for whether your site is getting used as you want it to be.

Another feature that the HotJar team suggest you use is the 'poll' and 'survey' pop ups - which appear on your site and askusers a question about what they think about the site. We can see the benefit of asking questions of your users (whether there is anything that they want to see on the site, or if they had any issues), but with our site already having a 'sales' point pop up, we didn't want to be too intrusive to people on it so didn't test these particular features.

The final feature that we think alot of clients will get a kick out of is the contact form monitoring tool. By creating a form with HotJar, you will be able to identify exactly where on the form you are possibly losing customers. For websites that utilise a big contact form, that could be extremely useful - helping you refine your forms so that you make sure you hear from everyone who starts to get in touch. Again, with a contact form of only three fields on our site, we didn't give this feature a run, but will do so further down the track.

The verdict
All in all we found HotJar very useful. It's easy to set up (you just need to drop a little snippet of code onto the pages on your site you want to monitor - something easily done by your web team), and the data is pretty instant and understandable. Cost wise, there is a free version for sites with smaller amounts of traffic - which will probably suit most small businesses in New Zealand. We've already had a couple of clients look to start using it, and if you take the time to analyse the data and actually make changes based on that feedback it could be an incredibly powerful tool.

Find out more at HotJar:
https://www.hotjar.com/

Facebook Mobile Studio

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:38:41 GMT

Facebook Mobile Studio

The surge to mobile continued this week as Facebook took a big step towards making it's mobile advertising platform a real competitor. In a nutshell, the company has refined it's Ad Manager app and is also set to launch 'Mobile Studio' - which will help advertisers, particularly small business owners, easily edit content on their phone.

This is big news for small business owners as the ability to look professional online is increasingly becoming the realm of everyone, not just the elite few large companies with big marketing budgets. Creating quality content that looks like it's come straight from an agency is something that alot of small businesses can now do. With a little bit of tech know-how, and an eye for what looks classy, editing software like Canva, and now Facebook's Mobile Studio, should let anyone turn their creative thoughts into an advertising reality.

Stand by for the following tweaks to the Facebook mobile advertising suite - and look forward to alot of improved content on your social feed from both your own business, and others that embrace these new changes:The Ad Manager app will have a bit of a facelift. The changes are aimed at making the user experience a bit more intuitive, making it easier to compare ad performance and account performance from week to week. Data is knowledge, and knowledge is power!

Mobile Studio is what Facebook is touting as their next possible game changer for small and medium sized business. The platform will let you create quality video and image content straight from your mobile.
Watch out for a single inbox to help you send and receive messages from your fans and clients on Facebook, Messenger AND Instagram. Remember, Instagram is part of the Facebook behemoth now, so you can effectively advertise across both platforms.
Lastly, look for a few new features that will help you target your advertising quickly - particularly nailing down audiences internationally that are similar to the ones you are hitting locally well.

All in all this should just stand as a firm reminder that it is very easy, and very cost effective, to advertise across digital platforms. Getting your business in front of thousands of eyeballs on search engines and social media should be seen as a no-brainer, particularly when your budget only needs to be hundreds of dollars a month, not thousands. As always, we'll keep encouraging you to help your business in house, but if you want to hand over the reigns, we're always happy to help.

Google shopping in New Zealand

Sun, 19 Mar 2017 11:40:16 GMT

NZ Google Shopping

Over the last few days there have been headlines hitting the major news outlets that Google Shopping will now be offered to New Zealand businesses. As with any big development in the Google world, that could present a big opportunity for online retail businesses (big or small), so here is a quick run down on what you need to know.

The first question - do you sell your products?
This is the major one. If you don't have some sort of e-commerce platform, you can probably stop reading now and be happy you've done your due diligence! Google Shopping effectively puts you products straight into the search results in a product carousel (see the screenshot from Google's page below). In our opinion, getting into that newsfeed with your quality product, at the right price, should give an immediate bump in sales.

For those companies that sell products in store, but don't have an e-commerce website , the platform might still be useful, but because you might not have the structure that an e-commerce site gives you for setting up with Google Shopping, you might find it a bit trickier to get to work for your benefit. That said, there are local targeted adverts that include stock numbers nearby if you do go to the effort - which should help get people through your shopfront doors.

How does it work?
Google will basically take all the important data about your product - the image, the price, the name of your store, where you are located, product deals, as well as product reviews (if you have them) and present them at the top of the search list in a carousel format. To do that, you'll need to tell Google what to look at - creating a Merchant Account and 'hooking up' your products to the Google brains trust. The technical way to do that is using an API, which you'll generally need a developer or someone experienced with API's to hook up, but Google does offer you the ability to upload directly with a file that you download straight from your e-commerce platform. With that set up, you'll also need to hook up your AdWords account and create a Shopping campaign. To find out more it's probably best to have a dig around Google's explanatory site , or chat to someone in the know.

Does it cost?
Like everything Google - the answer is yes and no. No, it won't cost you to sign up for a Merchant Account, and by doing that you'll have at least given your product information to Google. However, YES, it will cost for you to advertise that shopping info in Google Shopping. It's basically a more direct version of AdWords advertising (pay per click), except with your product front and centre.

Is the juice worth the squeeze?
This is the question we always ask with any type of advertising. How much time and money will be spent on any campaign, versus the potential upside. Google Shopping falls into an interesting category. We definitely see huge potential upside, but if you don't have your product pricing, and product offering right, then that upside will largely fall flat anyway. There is also a fair amount of setup that will go into the campaign, and to do well you'll probably need to monitor it quite heavily - it won't be a set and forget type thing. So it all comes down to the time factor. Can your time be better spent on another aspect of your business than on this type of advertising? That'll be a decision each business owner will end up having to make themselves, but it is definitely worth a serious look for all online stores.

Getting back to the ground

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 11:46:14 GMT

Making the first day of work count

Every year it's the same - Christmas and New Years Eve comes around, we drink, we eat, we be merry, and for alot of us we have a bit of a break from the 9 to 5. It's amazing...until that first day of work post holiday hits and you find your brain grinding through the gears trying to avoid work at any cost. For small businesses in particular it's a very interesting part of the year - retail has a bit of a boom, but us office workers seem to have a dead patch where the important jobs are put off, clients don't get in touch too often, and you find yourself having to make yourself motivate to work.

This blog has stemmed out of that start of the year haze. It's our completely unscientific observations about how you can turn the usual lull at the start of the year, into a bit of a boom period for your company. It all comes down to making the most of those few weeks where alot of people have low expectations. Client's and customers don't necessarily expect you to be at work, so even though alot of us hit the office floor very early in the year - the phones stay a little more silent than usual. Our musing on this stunning NZ day - use that time well .

What constitutes well? It could be a number of things for your business. It might be getting your finances in order, making sure you've identified your companies running costs and pulled them back to a level that increases profitability. It might be planning , we certainly spent most of our first week strategising for ourselves and our clients, devising a general plan for the year. It might be marketing , investing in advertising (particularly online) that will run for a few months while you have a slow period to think about your own business. Or, and this is a crucial one, it might actually be relaxing . When the time comes for the work to really flow through the doors you are going to want to hit it with a zen state of mind. Particularly in New Zealand, take a few extra hours in the day to get out, work out, or sit lake, pool or sea side. Take a minute to appreciate what's around you - after all, it's why we grind away everyday.

As for employees - the same advice probably applies. It's a great time of the year to do a little forward planning and clear the decks for busier times to come. Your boss may not enjoy you escaping the office early, but if the opportunity arises, get out in the sun and improve that state of mind. You'll love your work far more if you love your life - and employers should remember that.

As the year gets rolling along properly, we'd love to hear any of the tips you might have for getting the year started. Comment below!

9 ways you can increase sales on your website

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:47:24 GMT

Increasing sales with your website

This will be our penultimate blog on increasing sales on your website. As we reach the end of the blog series, make sure you get in touch with jamie@543.co.nz if you have any questions.

CHECK OUT THOSE SMILING PEOPLE AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE
We've found that any of our sites that have actual people smiling back at the clients seem to do much better than just generic photos with people. Hence the happy three people you see cycling across our website header.

BRIGHT BUTTONS BEAT TEXT LINKS ANY DAY
Oftern we find clients hiding important links in website text. There are benefits to this - if you use the correct search terms in links to the your page it'll help the search juice - but why not put them on a button? They are bigger, brighter and get clicked more often.

EXPERIMENT WITH COLUMNS
Have a play with displaying your content in one or numerous columns. It's said that alot of users prefer one column, but it all comes down to content and how you display that content.

CHAT AWAY
Give your clients the chance to speak directly to you with a live chat function. Once you've hooked them in for a chat, the chances of a sale increase dramatically.

GET YOUR MUGSHOT ON THE SITE
As we've said earlier, people relate to people. Don't be afraid to use your photo - the logic that a big brand shouldn't have the individual faces often doesn't translate. The same goes with emails...we never send out a bulk mail campaign from a "admin@" address - we always use an individuals name - it's a more personal touch.

USE THE GRAPHICS TO TELL A STORY
It's amazing what the shape of a picture, or something as blatant as an arrow can do. Direct people to where you want to be on the page through the layout and the images used.

WE'LL BEAT ANY OFFER
For the most part people won't actually take you up on a 'we'll beat the offer of our competitors' - but using a phrase like that can instill confidence in the customer that they are getting the best price.

TRY DIFFERENT SIZED CONTENT
As a general rule we prefer shorter content and think that works better, but often it comes down to the industry. Some fact based industries may have customers that want a heap of content - try different lengths and see what works best.

HOW DO WE GET IN TOUCH?
This is a must do. A big one. Make sure you make it easy for people to contact you. As a rule of thumb we put a link to the contact page on every other page throughout the site. This might not be appropriate for an e-commerce store , but for service based industries it's a really good idea.

8 magic website sale conversion tips

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:48:30 GMT

Create website sales

PICK A PUNCHY HEADLINE
That first big bit of text across your homepage has a huge amount of selling power. Make it relevant, make it punchy and make sure that if that is all a potential customer reads they may be sold.

START CONVERTING EARLY ON THE PAGE
Lots of marketing speakers talk about 'above the fold'. Put simply, that's the part of the screen that shows before you scroll down. If you want to capture emails, get someone to contact you, or go to a particular page, make sure you put that element of the site above the fold, at the top of the page.

VIDEO CONTENT SELLS
There's something about a video that draws users in. Think about using video content on your landing page to make it more relatable.

SET ADS TO DIFFERENT PAGES
If you have a number of services, think about sending your different adwords accounts to different pages. If you're advertising a product, send people straight to that product page, not the landing page.

NUMBERS MATTER
When you ad social media links or email sign up links to your site, think about including the number of followers with them. Just like testimonials, social media numbers can help with the all important trust factor.

BE SPECIFIC
People like to know what they are going to get when they buy your product or service. Make sure you give a full description on your site, if there are specifications, include them.

FOCUS...FOCUS!
Make sure your landing page direct your customers exactly where you want them to go. Send them towards your sales, give them tunnel vision about what they are reading. Focus!

PHOTOGRAPH LIKE A PRO
Don't just throw up some home pics you took on your phone. Make sure the photos on your page are professional. If you can't afford to pay a photographer, have a look at stock photography sites.

Another 7 tips on website sale conversion

Thu, 24 Nov 2016 11:49:38 GMT

Selling on your website

GET SOME TESTIMONIALS & REVIEWS
It's amazing the impact a positive review can have. We like to place a single testimonial on each page of a client website - it legitimises a business without bombarding the consumer with too many. Facebook and Google both have facilities for reviews as well - make sure you contact customers and ask them for feedback.

EVERYTHING'S EXCITING
Charge up your customers by charging up your text. Use emotionally powerful language to excite your consumer base.

LESS IS MORE WHEN IT COMES TO CONTACT FORMS
If you need to take lot's of information in a form, make as many fields as possible optional. You want that sales lead first and foremost, so don't scare them off.

RESPECT PRIVACY
Including a privacy policy with your contact form reassures customers that you won't give away their information and can be the difference between being contacted and not.

MAKE YOUR SITE LINE UP WITH YOUR ADS
If you are paying for advertising then make sure what you advertise is also what your potential customer finds on the site. Never mislead - it might increase click through rates, but that won't follow with sales.

OFFER ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT OPTIONS.
Most payment facilities should do this these days, but be sure you offer PayPal and a credit card facility (even if it directs the payment through PayPal).

COLOURFUL EXPERIMENTS
This is certainly one we have tried repeatedly. Changing our colour schemes had a direct result in sales. There is no magic colour, as for different products, different colours work better - the only way to find out what will work for you is to experiment. Don't be afraid to change colour.

5 ways to increase sales on your website

Sat, 12 Nov 2016 11:52:30 GMT

Increasing Sales

SIMPLIFY YOUR CONTACT FORMS
We often have clients that want to grab as much information as possible...because it makes their life easier at the other end. As we have said time and time again, that's the complete wrong approach to marketing and sales. Think of the customer first...what is going to make their life easier, and make them more likely to contact you. Less fields = more sign ups...which means more sales leads.

STICK BY YOUR WORK
Have faith that you will do a good job or that your product will be top quality. For us, that means creating a first homepage draft free of charge before asking for a deposit. We know our service and product is excellent, so don't mind giving the first bit away free to get the conversion. For others, that might mean having a money back gaurantee - it reduces risk for the customer.

SELL AND SELL NOW
Language is surprisingly powerful. Use words like 'buy now', or 'secure your spot early' and you may be surprised at the quick increase in conversions.

LET YOUR CLIENTS SPEAK FOR YOU
Alot of older websites have a page specifically dedicated to testimonials. There is a reason for this - people like hearing the word of others before committing to a sale. Our personal view is that you should intersperse testimonials throughout the site (only one or two on each page). This constantly re-affirms the trust factor. If you have been reviewed by big companies, or have worked for renowned companies - think about including those logos on your homepage.

WHAT IS IT AND WHY DO THEY NEED IT
This seems obvious, but you really do need to know your product and SELL that product or service on your website. Rather than just saying 'here is my service', start saying 'here is my service, and this is why you need it'. It's always a good plan to think as a customer when you write your content. Ask yourself what would sell this product or service to ME. Why would I take the extra step of actually parting with my money? Once you can communicate that you'll be one step closer to making a sale.
Next post we'll start looking at a few technical features you can employ on a website to help with conversions. If you ever have any queries about our thoughts, just contact Jamie at jamie@543.co.nz

6 more sales conversion tips

Sat, 12 Nov 2016 11:50:49 GMT

Sales Conversion Tips

TELL THEM TO DO IT. SERIOUSLY, TELL THEM.
When we make a site we have a policy of making sure that wherever a user is on the site, they will very quickly find a link to that final point of the sales equation. For most companies that's a 'contact us now' button, but for others it might be a 'BUY NOW'. Whatever it is for your company - call them to action!

SALES UPON SALES. KEEP THE RECOMMENDATIONS FLOWING
If you have one product that sells very well, but you think another goes well with it - make a recommendation on the first product page. Recommendations to similar products or information on each page can work really well. Try to tell a story through the links in your site.

CREATE A SCARCITY IN PRODUCT
If you are selling an actual product online, think about limiting the number available and showing that number of stock left on the sales page. If there are 'only 2 left', you appeal to the primal 'buy now' aspect of a shoppers mentality.

DON'T SHOUT IT IF YOU CAN SPEAK IT
In a busy commerce world, shoppers aren't going to fall for overly hyped jargon. When you are writing the content for your site, be compelling, but avoid completely over hyping it. Don't be an informercial on the internet!

THIS IS AMAZING - BUT WHY?
Really spell it out to consumers what is good about the product. Make it absolutely clear what the benefits of the product are. Don't sell a 'TV Screen', sell a "52 inch, Plasma, HD TV Screen" for example.

TEST THE HELL OUT OF HOW YOU TELL THEM TO DO IT
A good website and good sales platform takes alot of experimentation. Something as simple as the text on a buy button can change how well a product sells. Test variations - 'buy now', 'order now', 'purchase' - and see what has the best effect. Test and test again.

Lessons from the election campaign

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 11:53:41 GMT

Election Marketing

This year we were lucky enough to be asked to help out with a couple of local election campaigns. With such a bizarre election going on in America, and social media platforms in particular bringing a whole new dimension to the process, it seemed fitting that we give a few thoughts on the lessons that we learned from the campaign trail that can translate to your business.

Know your audience
We’ve previously posted about knowing your audience from a commercial perspective, but in the election campaign that was really emphasised here in Hawkes Bay. As a general rule, the last few years' voter turnout has been less than half the population. In reality, what that means is a serious skew in the demographics of who is voting. The voting population is much older than the general population and targeting that demographic through online advertising and social media can be very tricky. This is certainly one instance where the trend to move away from conventional advertising didn’t hold entirely true; with newspaper, radio advertising and good old fashion leaflet drops still a very effective approach.

From a business point of view, understanding your audience is vital from a sales and marketing perspective. For the most part, our purchasing audience is moving from conventional media to online media, and even more noticeably, they are moving to mobile. What the election campaign hit home though was that if you want to be effective in reaching your audience, you need to tailor how your message reaches them.

The better the product, the better the campaign
We were very lucky with the candidates that we worked for, in that they all had clear policies and opinions that resounded with the public. However, when you look at the American election Donald Trump's campaign managers must wake up with cold sweats at times! As a ‘product’ he appeals to a very niche market and turns a lot of people off. That’s all good and well if you are able to survive off that niche market (as he did in the Republican Primary), but if you’re going for broad appeal, the outlook isn’t great. As advertisers, no matter how we package up a product, if at it’s core there is an issue, that issue will always shine through.

As business owners, that is something we need to constantly remember. If we put forward a product or service that isn’t desirable, no matter what advertising and spin we put behind it, there is always going to be a big risk it is going to fail. Always, always think of the potential customer and what they are after when creating your products and services – and if it’s a dud, don’t be surprised if a huge marketing campaign doesn’t help it.

One issue can change perception
In Hawkes Bay in particular we had a couple of issues completely dominate the conversation. The water crisis was one (although that wasn’t very polarising, because as a general rule we all agreed it needed fixing), and the Ruataniwha dam was the other headline grabber. In the Regional Council race in particular, the dam debate seemed to completely determine who people voted for. Every anti-dam candidate made it onto the Council, at the expense of very capable pro-dam candidates. In helping with the campaign, this was by far the trickiest area to work around, as obviously the candidates needed to choose which side of the argument they were on, and stick with it. From a neutral perspective the anti-dam campaign was certainly able to create far more passionate feeling through the media and the community. They harnessed the communities love of the environment and turned it against a project that the large majority of voters didn’t really know much about. In this regard it became just as much about selling your side of the issue as yourself as a candidate.

The big takeaway for businesses in this regard was definitely to listen to the customer, listen to the community and take note. Customers and clients always want to be heard, and if an issue begins to gain traction, it is so important to hear that issue and do something about it. Whether that is solving a problem, making a suggested change, or just educating the consumer base about why something is happening the way it is, it is far better to act than to let that issue take control and dictate the perception of your business.

Digital is still king – and growing
While I mentioned earlier that a large portion of the voting demographic was an older population, this campaign certainly affirmed that digital and social advertising is a hugely powerful tool in an election campaign. In an electorate where only 20,000 – 40,000 people vote, we were able to reach 200,000 people in a very targeted manner. In the American election you can see this in an even more obvious way. Whether it be Donald Trump’s tweets guiding the media conversation, or Hillary Clinton cleverly targeting specific minorities in her online advertising, social media is where a lot of that election is now being fought. In New Zealand, if we make a move to online voting next election, then the instant click and vote will completely shift the demographic of voters. That’s an exciting prospect, but regardless, a well run social media campaign where content is carefully crafted and individuals develop a connection with a candidate, is certainly a powerful campaign tool.

We shouldn’t really need to sell you on the power of online advertising and social media for your business. It is cheaper, can more effectively target groups you want to, and provides you with the ability to have a constant advertising presence. If used correctly you can reach thousands of people daily for tens of dollars – something small businesses never would have been able to do in the past. No matter what industry you are in there is a social media platform out there that will let you achieve the goals that you want to, and hopefully lead to more sales. 543 Designs puts its money where its mouth is and put 95% of our marketing budget online.

Negativity breeds negativity
This election campaign we got to see just how quickly someone can jump online and turn the conversation negative. Individuals who didn’t like a particular policy would constantly leave provocative and negative comments on candidate’s Facebook pages which could turn a good post, bad, quite quickly. For us, the way to stop these type of comments was not to ignore them, nor delete them, but to engage them with respect in a manner that left the individual feeling like their question had been answered, but without them feeling a need to add to the conversation further. That was a tricky balance to meet, but the key was never being combative, and the ‘ace up our sleeve’ was to always offer to call the commenter to chat further. By moving the conversation into a real world scenario 9 times out of 10 the sting was taken out of the comment and no long winded negative conversation would develop.

We actually hear this fear from business owners a lot – “what if I go on social media and someone makes a negative comment…can I delete that negative comment?”. Well – two things…yes you can, but no you shouldn’t. The first thing you have to acknowledge is that even if you aren’t on social media, that negative comment is likely to still be out there, but if you aren’t online you have no chance to respond and guide the conversation in the direction you want it to go. By having a social presence, and dealing with every negative comment with respect (and being candid in your response), you are far more likely to stop that negativity before it develops into something more widespread. Never be combative, or dismissive, and you can often turn negative into positive on social media. Furthermore, if you hold the high ground online, your supporters will often get in behind you. Most importantly, if you focus on providing fantastic products and service then you’ll get a huge swell of positive reviews, and those will far outweigh the negative.

Colour and branding
As we drove around the electorate through the campaign what we noticed the most was colour and how various candidates had branded themselves. In an outdoor setting, some colours disappeared into the background, while others jumped out at you as you drove past. Some candidates went for simplicity, focusing on only their name on the signage, while others listed policy after policy (which most of the time you couldn’t read when driving past at 100kms an hour!). The big takeaway for us personally was how powerful white is as a colour – particularly on a roadside. When you think of bright colours you think of oranges and pinks and yellows, and logic says they will be eye catching. But next time you have a drive down the road – particularly in more rural areas – notice how much a bright white stands out. By definition, white is the brightest colour out there, and we often forget to think of it that way. From a branding perspective, a real focus needed to be put on name recognition for the election, so while 2 word catch phrases do help, the candidate's name is absolutely what you want to reinforce. The only other comment we would have is to avoid orange. Yes it stands out, but it has a really polarising effect with the general public.

When going into business we often forget about how much colour and branding can convey. Too often we make a decision based on what colours WE like, when ultimately it’s not us who are going to be buying our products. Have a search for a colour emotion guide sometime and just see what people associate with different colours. Whenever we run a Facebook advert for 543 we’ll always run identical versions with different colour palettes to see which one performs the best. It’s quite amazing sometimes to see that even with the same words and the same picture, text in one colour can be twice as effective as text in another. The other takeaway is to be concise in any of your advertising. If you can get your message across in a few words, it will be punchy, memorable and effective. If you don’t, you run the risk of it being ignored.

Final Thoughts
Those are all our musings on being involved in an election campaign. It was certainly a thoroughly enjoyable experience and we look forward to implementing some of the lessons we learned into the business world in the future. As always, when you read through this blog I’m sure you’ll pick up a strong theme of thinking about the client, customer, or target audience. If you analyse everything you do in your business based on how it can improve the experience for the customer, you’re far more likely to have success – particularly in marketing.

Pricing - balancing perception & reality

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:58:37 GMT

Pricing your services & products

Recently, we've seen just how important a customer's perception can be to your bottom line. If you price too low, you run the risk of being perceived as 'cheap' and low quality, where if you price too high, the perception is that your product is too expensive. So the big question is how do you hit that sweet spot? The price where perception meets reality.

There doesn't appear to be a silver bullet for this one unfortunately, but there are a few well established guidelines that you should consider when setting your pricing.

THE CHARM PRICE
Multiple studies have now concluded that putting a "9" in your pricing makes a significant difference into it's attractiveness. Initially we thought this sounded like a bit of an old wives sale tale, and could never understand why companies continually put their prices at '$9.99', but it's been shown that having your pricing adjusted to this can increase your sales by 24% - and that is significant.

TEST THE SWEET SPOT
This is the big one. Pricing has been shown to, on one hand, give a perception of value and equally, on the other hand, a of a lack of quality, so it's really important to figure out what your consumer thinks is the right price. Funnily enough, this was pretty much perfectly shown by Kanye West recently - he opened a pop up store and started charging exorbitant prices for his "one of a kind" t-shirts. People were more than willing to pay this price, until they noticed the generic brand tag inside the t-shirt which told them it was just a cheap product with fancy sign writing on it. Equally, the Warehouse in New Zealand has had to battle a 'cheap and nasty' perception for the last few years, despite bringing in higher quality products.

DO RIGHT BY YOUR CUSTOMER
You won't find this one in any text book, but we strongly believe this is a critical part of the equation - particularly for repeat business. If you set your price as low as possible (without going below the perception of low quality threshold), you will ensure clients continue to return again and again. We certainly keep this as a key pillar of our pricing.

The last little takeaway we'd like you to think about as you read this blog is to think about how you yourself perceive products from now on. Don't just buy something because it is more expensive, and equally don't buy something simply because it is cheaper. Ask why the price is set at where it is. Think about the product, not the price. 543 will continue to keep our prices as low as possible and hope that we can debunk the 'cheap' perception by providing high quality website and marketing for our clients. They understand we can do that be reducing our overheads and working with systems that save them money without compromising on quality... Hopefully that means we hit the 'sweet spot' for pricing!

Fake page likes

Sun, 31 Jul 2016 12:03:13 GMT

Fake Facebook Likes

Unfortunately, this is a post we are writing having suffered from the scourge of 'fake likes' on our own Facebook Page. Taking it back to basics, a 'fake' like on your Facebook Page or your Facebook Post is one that has come from somewhere that is not a legitimate person, or is a person that is being paid to like pages and posts. For the most part, these fake likes come from click farms, which are predominantly based in Africa & Asia, and have been setup for dodgy companies to try to trick the system. You've likely heard of these type of companies, pages and people who try to boost their standing on Facebook by paying a third party to like their page hundreds or thousands of times. What you might not realise, is that even if you are running your page by the book, your company may be affected by fake page likes. Here's how:Dodgy users pay third party click farms (usually in Asia or Africa) to like their page or posts.

Those click farms create profiles, which then like those pages and posts.
To seem legitimate to Facebook bots, the click farms and fake profiles also trawl through 'liking' other pages and posts that either naturally, or through legitimate Facebook advertising, appear to them.
Your page gets liked by one of these bots, and you start getting suggested to more of them, they like your posts and page more and more, and all of a sudden your audience is skewed to these fake profiles.
But a like is good right? Wrong! A legitimate like is great, a fake like is terrible. Think of each like as a 'referral'. When someone likes your page or post, is can then be referred onto their friends and similar profiles. If you recieved a fake like, the referral will more than likely be to another fake profile, and so on, meaning your message and sales point never gets to legitimate customers. Even worse, if you then pay to boost your posts on Facebook, they'll fly out to this audience of fake likes, meaning you've effectively paid for a campaign that will never result in sales. Fail.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO The first piece of advice we can give is NEVER, EVER pay a third party click farm for page likes or post likes. It may seem like a good idea to jump up the numbers of your Facebook followers, but in the long run it will ruin your ability to use Facebook as a marketing and sales tool , because your audience will be skewed. Don't mix this up with Facebook advertising - paying for an advert campaign to gain more likes in a targeted way through Facebook is OK and very different from just paying a click farm to like your page. If growth happens too fast...be wary.
Stay vigil. Keep an eye on who is liking your page, and especially your posts. You'll get a feel for which ones are click farms. You'll get unusually high numbers of people liking a post, and they'll often have names that are foreign to where you are based. If you see them liking a post, ban them from there immediately (click the likes on a post on your computer, a pop up will appear with all the people who have liked the post, and you'll be able to permanently ban profiles from your page).
Keep it local. Don't over-reach with your Facebook advertising. For New Zealand companies, keep your advertising within New Zealand or, even better, your city, and you'll largely be safe from the click farms.
Cull your list of users that like your page. This will feel terrible at the time, as you go through and block people that have liked your page and drop the total number of likes down, but it is so important. Alot of it will come down to gut feel about who doesn't look like a legitimate customer, but banning fake users (https://www.facebook.com/help/222702104422027?sr=14&query=delete%20page%20likes&sid=0IrKAJWbJLHuhLLro ) will mean your posts and adverts in the future should have a better chance of hitting the right target. Stop the rot early.

Hopefully this is helpful to some of you out there who are scratching their heads at the high number of likes but low number of sales on your Facebook Page. Stay alert and keep your organic followers happy and Facebook can be a great tool...and let's hope Facebook themselves start to crack down harder on these click farms!

Marketing 101 - know your customer

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:09:25 GMT

Marketing Basics

Earlier last week we were lucky enough to present a seminar on search engine optimisation and how it can have a great effect on your sales. Throughout that workshop we fielded a ton of questions about everything online - social media, online advertising and search engine optimisation - and it really drove home to us one thing. Know your customer .

This doesn't sound like revolutionary stuff, but for us it is the one thing that should drive your marketing decisions. Below are a few of the key questions we were asked - the answer always being "know your customer".

What social media channels should we use?
This is a question we get asked time and time again, and we have heard a vast array of technical responses and reasons why various social media channels are great, but at the end of the day, our answer - "know your customer". Think about what your clientele finds interesting, think about what social media they are using, and think about what they might find engaging from you. If you're an accountant for example, instagram would likely be a terrible platform - with very little visual cues for you to offer. If you're a photographer on the other hand, you customers will be using instagram and will lap up everything that you send their way.

What keywords should I use on my website for search engines?
This is a really common question. If you get the keywords right, you'll do better in search engines and ultimately make more sales. There are great tools to figure out exactly what people are searching in your area - including googles own adword planner - but at the end of the day, all these tools are telling you is what your customer is searching. Take a step back, think about your customer, understand their search habits, and you'll race up the search rankings.

How much information should I have on my website and what should it look like?
Website structure can be so important to sales. A good web designer will not only think about what looks good, but will also think about how they might be able to funnel your traffic towards sales. Ultimately, that means knowing your customer! We recently completed a website that was mainly used by an older audience - so one of the key things was increasing the font size and making it really simple. If your audience is an older demographic, you might want to consider all the flashy bells and whistles that come with some modern website designs, if it's younger, your can push the envelope a bit more.

You may be reading this and thinking 'well that's pretty obvious', but the truth is, when it comes to marketing, simplicity and the obvious thought pattern can end in really effective campaigns. Always remind yourself of these basics and for every social media post, online advert or promotion you run, step back and think 'what does my customer want'. Follow that simple rule, and we are sure you'll increase sales in no time.

The power of an Email Campaign

Fri, 03 Jun 2016 12:21:39 GMT

The power of an EDM

In the digital world we are constantly bombarded with advertising and companies wanting to sell themselves and their products to us. It's often a tough world to get heard, with the 'noise' of social media and search engines leaving little space for genuine information and communication. For 543, the solution to breaking through that noise has been getting better and better results through the use of electronic digital marketing , or EDM. Below are our pointers on how to make the most of a mailout, make it look incredible and importantly, keep your users engaged.

THE WHY
The first step you need to understand before pushing on with an electronic mailout is why you are going to do it. What are your motivations for sending out an EDM? Is it purely sales? Do you just think you should be doing it? Can you offer your readers something?

For us, a good EDM starts at giving the people you are emailing something that they'll find interesting and worth reading. There is no point bombarding people with sales emails that don't really serve the recipient. Rather, it's important to be sending information that they will read, engage with and possibly enjoy. In a digital world, marketing is more about creating a familiarity with the sender/reader than hardcore sales. Send information that will make your readers go 'ah yes...blah blah is an expert in that' next time they need to make a purchase in your area of specialty. WHY - BE HELPFUL.

THE WHO
You can't just scatterbomb everyone with an email address - first off it's against anti spam legislation, and secondly it's an extremely inefficient way to make a sale. You want an engaged audience, people that want to hear what you have to say. A starting point is obviously your email contact list, but thought needs to be put into how you expand that list. Add every new client, or every new contact you come across, but also aim to increase your database beyond those you already know.

We recommend using something like a pop up on your site that allows you to store the emails and details straight to your email campaign software . Our top tip is offering a discount or something free in a pop-up in exchange for being included in a mailing list. You may sacrifice on the final sale price, but you will inevitably pick up more sales by being able to talk directly to interested parties. WHO - POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

THE WHAT
Regular content is what often stops small businesses from sending out EDM's. It takes time and discipline to sit down and right an email. The trick is definitely writing about something you know alot about, and if possible something current. Think about giving away small bits of free advice to hook the bigger bit of work. Try to send something at least once a month, but don't send it if it feels forced - content is king. And don't be afraid to search through the net to find topics that you can write on. When all else fails - contact 543 and we can help with the content! WHAT - BRIEF, INTERESTING, REGULAR.

THE HOW
Lastly, once you know who you are sending an EDM to and what you are going to write about, you need to make sure you have a great tool that will get the email into all their inboxes. The tool that seems to be the most popular globally is MailChimp - but for us, the winner is definitely CampaignMonitor . Both those tools provide ready made templates and a level of testing that can have you fairly certain your email won't get stopped by spam filters. They both let you know who is reading your message, and who is clicking what links within it. Both are affordable, and if you do go for CampaignMonitor we can set it up, monitor it and generally help out remotely.DO IT YOURSELF? OR GET HELP?At 543 we are pretty big on empowering our clients to be able to do all these marketing things themselves, however sometimes it's just not the smart play. Ultimately, with any marketing, you need to decide if the money/time you spend trying to do something yourself, would be better spent getting a pro to do it quicker, better and without you ever having to worry. For some it will be DIY, for others it might be worth sending Jamie an email at jamie@543.co.nz to chat about helping out with all aspects of your marketing for as low as $150.

Google my business - have you done it?

Sat, 09 Apr 2016 12:22:55 GMT

The first step in getting a Google ranking

Every business gains huge benefits from being at the top of the Google pile...but getting there is easier said than done. The checklist for a well optimised site for Google can be pretty huge, but the first step is a really significant and easy one to get right. Tell Google who you are and where you are based. Simple right?!

This one is actually brilliantly simple thanks to Google continuing to refine their user interface for this side of things. Simply head to https://www.google.com/intl/en_nz/business/ and have a search for your company name. Google will either find it in their maps database, or not - either way you'll be able to 'claim' your business, update the profile and make sure all your contact details are correct. You'll be able to link a Google + business account, add photos, hours of business and your logo, and it should all take you only half an hour or so - depending how detailed you'd like to be.

Doing well on Google is complicated - but it doesn't necessarily need to be hard. The above is a great first step, if you'd like to drill down deeper into your Search Engine Optimisation, just email jamie@543.co.nz .

Choosing a domain: .com or .co.nz?

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 12:24:43 GMT

What domain name

Over the last few weeks we have had a few clients going through the process of choosing a domain name and a regular question seems to arise "Should I choose .com or .co.nz?".

At the end of the day what domain you choose to put your website on is entirely up to you. For some, using a .com domain may project the image of a large company that they are wanting to, but for the vast majority of New Zealand businesses - using a location specific domain that ends with .co.nz is what we would suggest. Why? Google.

One of the first things search engines look at is your domain name - and specifically, location of that domain. To use an analogy, think of your local Yellow Pages. If you were to go look up a service in that local Yellow Pages it would be a reasonably straight forward task - you know all of those companies listed work within your region, so the search would be relevant. Now imagine if that Yellow Pages had the rest of New Zealand in it...in fact...the rest of the world. Imagine how cumbersome the task would become. That is the issue that search engines face every day. To help with that task, the search engine will look at a websites domain, look at where it is from and gives local pages priority in any local searches.

If you want some proof of this theory in action - Google 'car' from where you are sitting in New Zealand. We did (screenshot attached), and on the front page there were the usual location and news results, plus 9 search results. 8 of those search results were .co.nz - with the only other result being Wikipedia. The proof is in the pudding.

By no means are we saying that you won't show up in a local search result if you have a .com website address. However, in our opinion, it takes longer to start getting results in New Zealand with a .com domain. So if you are selling primarily in New Zealand, want to jump-start your google results and are deciding what domain to use - we say go for .co.nz wherever possible.

The flag change - how it should have gone

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 12:25:47 GMT

NZ Flag Change Debate

Having just gone through a really huge referendum in New Zealand, we sat back and had a little bit of a reflection on what went wrong, and why we haven't got a new flag today.

To put our cards on the table, we are pro change. As much as we love everything about New Zealand, we have never felt like the flag represents NZ accurately. The Union Jack is symbolic of the United Kingdom and the colours of the current flag were inherited from that. NZ has changed, and we have always thought the flag should reflect that change.

That said...the flag change had to be about democracy, so our personal opinion is no more relevant than anyone else. This was a massive opportunity for the country and the process itself may have ruined the end result. So...this is how we would have done it. Spend less. The price tag killed the end result. Parts of the population voted against change purely because they thought it was a frivolous expenditure. Informal polling through free platforms like Facebook could have at least got momentum started. "Should we change?" through an informal, online poll - would have got some sort of nationwide support from day one.
Choose a more influential panel . This is the big one. None of us knew who the panel were. It didn't have a flag specialist, it didn't have a design specialist. It felt like a hand picked mates club with no real reason to be in charge. The panel should have included high profile kiwis from various flag relevant parts of society - the RSA, sport, arts, the Maori community and the business world. It should have included flag & design experts and it should have used these high profile individuals talking about the process to engage the public.
The flag entry process shouldn't have shown the world all the entries . We are all for democracy, but sometimes the public doesn't know what they like/want. The panel should have only put 5 - 10 flag designs (which were finalised by a design and flag specialist) out to the public. The final Kyle Lockwood design is a perfect example...it had elements which were great, but it could have improved with tweaking - a different shade of blue for example would have made that option so much more visually appealing.
The silver fern on black should have been one of the final four options. It is the one flag that you see flown around the world representing New Zealand alongside the current flag. Kiwi travellers wrap themselves in it, sports fans wave it and it's already synonymous with New Zealand. Fallen soldiers graves are marked with it, business in New Zealand trades under it and our Tourism identifies itself with a silver fern. People may disagree that it should be the flag, but it should have been one of the final change options we voted on.

Once all of the above has happened, then you'll be left with a flag that is far more likely to be accepted for change. A panel of diverse individuals and cross section of NZ society will have chosen the final options, the public won't be rebelling because of a terribly expensive process...and the flag, importantly, will have been professionally designed. These are the keys to success.

So, we feel a massive opportunity has been missed, and we put it completely down to a process that took democracy too far. How do you feel about it all?

For the record - if the black and white sporting silver fern is completely off the cards, we would have gone for the option at the top of this page. It looks good, it removes the UK flag and replaces it with our most prominent symbol, it keeps the red that is associated with Maori, the blue of our ocean and heritage (darker though - closer to our National colour of black), and the Southern Cross of our old flag. But you know....why on earth would we go for something inclusive, good looking and simple?

Linking it up

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:26:52 GMT

Creating website links

This is a quick one for anyone working on their 543 Designs website that wants to create a link on the page or to any other website.

After inserting your text box, click into it and highlight the text you want to link.

Find the "chainlink" icon (in the middle of the toolbar).

To link to a page OUTSIDE your site, just paste the page url.

To link to a page INSIDE your site, check the standard page box and click the dropdown menu to find the page you want to link to as below.

In that box you'll also find other options including link to and email address. Hopefully that makes linking easy! Your link will change to the default link colour on your website...and if all else fails... contact us !

Blog well and blog right

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 12:28:20 GMT

Beginner Blogging Tips

So you've got your website looking good and now you want to make sure you have regular content on it. This is a good thing in the eyes of search engines - they love to see a website that is updated often and regularly. Here are our tips on making the most of your 543 Designs blog/news post.

CONTENT

Make it interesting & relevant.
Explore an area of expertise.
Keep it short and sweet.
Use bullet points and focus non important keywords.

PICTURES

Liven up the page.
Drag & drop them as you would on your normal site.
We'd recommend not going too crazy as they clutter up the page.
If you drag & drop into a text box, the text will wrap around the picture, but you won't be able to add an "Alt Text" caption. If you drag & drop beside a text box, a new column will be formed, the text won't wrap, but you can add an "Alt Text" caption.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION

Drag and drop titles (don't just bold normal text) as these appear as headers in search engines and are identified as important words.
Find the "Post Options" button at the bottom right of your screen and use it!
Add a category to help search.
Use the advanced post option section and give your blog an SEO Post Title and SEO Post Description.

OTHER TIPS

Drag & drop the "Read More Break" item after the first paragraph of your blog. That will mean a shorter main blog post page.

Getting a picture web ready

Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:29:37 GMT

Image Optimisation

Uploading a picture onto the web on a 543 Designs site is as simple as dragging, dropping and letting it upload....however, there are a few little tips you should remember before you upload that picture.

Image or Gallery? Both options have their benefits. A gallery is very easy to create, and you can upload a number of photos quickly. They will automatically resize to the same size and it is nice and tidy. However, you won't be able to put text under each picture, and when it comes to mobile optimization, the pictures will be alot smaller. In mobile view an "Image" is considered one element across the screen, and so is a "Gallery". This means a gallery view on mobile will have multiple pictures across the screen (possibly very small). If you can, we recommend taking the time to upload individual images and make your own gallery.
Picture Shape. If you are uploading as an "Image" - be sure to figure out the shape your image is going to take in its final form. If you have a number of images, you want them uniform. So think about their size and shape before uploading them. We recommend using GIMP - free software that is very similar to Photoshop . It takes a little while to figure out how to use, but is a powerful free tool.
Picture Size. The smaller the image the faster it loads! So don't upload a gigantic 5000 x 5000 pixel image for a 200 x 200 slot! Remember you want a high quality, small file size image. To change the dimensions of an image use a service such as PicResize . On top of that, reduce the file size using something like TinyPNG . This great website lets you upload a photo and compress it down to a fraction of the size without losing any quality. See the photo below of this page compressed and the 79% reduction in size!

Search Engine Optimisation

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 12:30:53 GMT

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Basics

Not everyone has the budget to employ a high-flying search engine company to get their website off the ground. Below are our tips on what YOU can do to get your website SEO ready. If this all seems a bit too much and technical for you, 543 Designs can certainly help out and give you the boost you need.

GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE
This is a simple but important first step. One which 543 Designs are more than happy to help you with. If you want to do it yourself though - here are your instructions:

Head over to Google Webmaster Tools and sign in to your Google account (or create one).
Click the 'add site' button and enter your website's URL. You will then by asked to verify that you own the website.
To verify your 543 Designs site do not use the google recommended option, rather, locate the HTML Tag option to verify.
Click the HTML Tag option and copy and paste the code that Google gives you into your homepages header code (found in your 543 Designs backend - Settings > SEO > Header.

Once you've verified your website lets submit a a sitemap in Google Webmaster Tools. This lets google constantly check your site for updates to its structure, and tells Google where everything is on your site. After a few days, Google will start indexing your site.

Click 'Sitemaps' from your Google Webmaster Tools dashboard.
Click 'Add/Test Sitemap'
In the URL box that appears just type in 'sitemap.xml'
Click submit sitemap.

Alternatively, from the Google Webmaster Tools dashboard, click the drop-down menu called 'Crawl' and then select 'Fetch as Google'. Enter your URL, click 'Fetch' , submit the result to the index and the site should be indexed in minutes.

If you want to be truly thorough, you can also index the site with Bing Webmaster Tools . It is a similar process, but Google covers so much of the internet traffic it's more a "value add" than a necessity.

ANTI VIRUS VERIFICATION
This is an often forgotten step, but verifying your website with Norton and McAfee can be very important. Put simply, people are more likely to click through to a safe site, and Google will push you up the search rankings if your site is acknowledged as safe.

To verify your website with Norton:

Go to Norton Safeweb and sign in/sign up.
Go to your profile and under 'Site Dispute' click 'Add site'.
Enter your website's URL.
Select to use the 'Meta Tag' verification and paste it into the 'Header Code' section of your homepage (located in Settings > SEO > Header.
Publish your website and click 'Verify Now' on Norton Safeweb.
To get your website rated, click 'Rate My Site'. This process may take several weeks.

BACKLINKS
Backlinks help search engines know that your website is popular. You should try and get as many people as possible to link to your website. Aim for quality links, if you have links to your website from other websites that Google sees as reputable, your search ranking should jump up. Similarly, if you have links to your website from disreputable, spammy websites, Google will penalize your website. Ask around common companies and websites and ask to have your website included in exchange for them including yours.

Major databases like the Yellow Pages are a good place to start being listed - have a search for relevant databases and directories to be included in.

543 Designs w i ll generally link to your website as an example of our work, and in return include a link in the footer of your website back to us!

SPEED MATTERS
The 543 Designs team have done what we can for you in terms of speed. Check out our blog on Images to make sure any uploads you make are helping the cause, and our blog on Cloudflare as a little extra step you can make to get the site super speedy.

KEYWORDS
Keywords' refers to words that people tend to search for. To find out what people tend to search for in your subject area use the Google Adwords Keyword Planner .

Click 'Search for new keyword and ad group ideas', fill in the drop down menu however suits the topic of your website and click 'get ideas'.
Click 'Keyword ideas' instead of 'Ad group ideas'.

Once you have established what people search for in your area, add some of those words and phrases anywhere into your website, whether it's in your text or heading tags. Avoid huge amounts of content and files - and Google will reward you.

LOCATION TARGETING
Be sure to list your company with Google Business and claim your address to pop up in any local area searches. This is how you get on "the map" when an individual search for something in a particular area in Google.

SEARCH FOR SEO TIPS & SEO TOOLS
By no means let this blog be total gospel and the only SEO research you do! Hit the web, google SEO tips and see what some of the pros have to say. You might be surprised at how easy it is to take simple actions that pump up your search result and help out your businesses profitability.

Taking the perfect picture

Thu, 12 Nov 2015 13:11:56 GMT

Photography Basics

Everyone has a camera in their pocket these days - and with smartphone technology getting better and better, it's becoming easier for anyone to take a decent snap. Stick to these few rules, and you'll be filling your instagram with professional looking images within no time.

Step 1: Thirds.
When you are shooting your image, split what is in shot into thirds and use the imaginary lines as guides. Try to align major focal points along those lines (so a person for example - or the skyline) and you'll get a much more interesting photo. The above is an example where the rule hasn't been followed completely, but by you'll see each third taken by itself is still an interesting photo.

Step 2: Light.
This might seem like a simple one...but think about where the light is coming from! Having light coming over your shoulder as you take the photo is perfect, but if you find yourself in a position with lots of shadows - think about using your flash to get rid of them. If you want to get more technical have a play around with your white balance, exposure and the mode your are taking a photo in. For your phone - there are some great apps out there to give you these options.

Step 3: Touch it up.
Grab photo editing software and touch it up. Instagram will put a filter for you, but free programs like GIMP give you the ability to get stuck in and fix up your photos. Our handy hint - adding a bit of contrast (which is a really simple editing trick) often makes an image look much more polished.

That's our cheats guide to getting a good photo. Just choose a good subject, split it into thirds, make sure the lighting is right, throw in some contrast...and voila!

Canva for Christmas

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:14:41 GMT

The Canva App

I've certainly talked up Canva a fair few times on social media - and for good reason.

It brings the ability to make beautiful professional images to the lay person, letting you layer images, patterns, filters and text easily. It won't let you create the custom images that something like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP would, but man is it a nice easy tool to use. We use it for our social media posts regularly - so I thought I'd share the making of a Xmas social media post with you...so simple!

Update: Adobe has also come to the party more recently with a similar product to Canva. Have a look at Adobe Express if you'd like to stick within that Adobe ecosystem.

The importance of a web make-over

Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:52:20 GMT

Overhauling your website

We continually find ourselves trying to explain why it is so important to give your website a refresh. Technology moves at a rate of knots these days and even if you had an amazing website design a few years ago, chances are it will start to look dated FAST if you don't keep on trend and up to date.

Sometimes though, a picture is worth a thousand words and you just need to see change in action. Below are a few of the biggest websites globally, and looking at them you can get a real impression of why change is so important.

Drop us a line to talk about our super hosting package that includes a yearly website update in it to make sure you stay on trend. Keeping a constant improvement ends up being cheaper in the long run and ensures you'll always be at the forefront of the web.

Why advertise online?

Sat, 15 Aug 2015 14:55:57 GMT

Advertising Online

We often get asked about the merits of advertising online, whether it be through social media or google advertising. Conventional advertising is so entrenched in business that they often overlook the benefits of online...spending huge amounts of cash on print, tv and radio advertising, while neglecting the amazing benefits of online.

Put simply, the numbers don't lie. With only small figures required to enter the online market, even a fledging business has the chance to advertise. You are able to measure exactly how many people are seeing your ads - in real time...and advertise directly to them. As an example, one of our clients id involved in a very particular industry. That industry had a highly attended event on in a remote part of New Zealand, meaning we knew that the majority of people in that particular area were involved in that industry on a particular weekend. So, for a $10 dollar boosted Facebook post, we were able to reach 4,000 individuals, all of which were entrenched in the relevant industry, and all who were interested. Hundreds of shares later and that ten dollar spend easily had as much reach as spending thousands of dollars on sponsoring the event itself.

We would never advocate ditching conventional media - everything has its place in terms of advertising, however it is almost criminal to not at least invest a few hundred dollars a month into Google AdWords and other digital marketing channels. The more people that see your brand, the more likely you are to increase sales...and the most cost effective way to make that happened in a targeted fashion is online advertising.

Give Jamie an email at jamie@543.co.nz to have a chat about how we can take any budget you have available or want to spend on advertising and put it to seriously good use.

543 Tech Tips & Tricks

How to Brief a Designer for a Logo You'll Actually Love

How to Write a Logo Design Brief That Gets Results for Your NZ Business

Key Takeaways

Why is a logo brief necessary?

What should you include in a logo design brief?

Practical applications and consistency

A global investment with local value

How much does professional logo design cost in New Zealand?

How to Evaluate a Web Design Agency's Portfolio

How to Evaluate a Web Design Agency Portfolio

Key Takeaways

Test the Live Mobile Experience First

Analyse Performance and Core Web Vitals

Evaluate User Experience and Navigation

Look for Clear Calls to Action

Assess Transparency and Value for Money

Check for Long-Term Support

Inflation hits home. Why we've had to increase our hosting costs.

We’re updating our website hosting prices.

The New Annual Hosting Prices

Why Responsive Design is Non-Negotiable for NZ Websites in 2025

Web Design NZ: Why Mobile-First is the Standard for Local Business Success in 2025

Key Takeaways

Why Mobile-First Website Design is Mandatory in 2025

Understanding the Kiwi Mobile Market

Moving Beyond Resizing: Core Web Vitals and Performance

Accessibility and the User Experience

Practical Web Design Costs for NZ Small Businesses

Choosing the Right Web Designer for Your Business

7 Proven Strategies for Creating E-commerce Product Pages That Convert

High-Converting Product Pages: The NZ Small Business Guide to More Sales

Key Takeaways

The Gap Between Average and High-Performing Stores

Seven Strategies to Lift Your Product Page Conversions

Optimise for Mobile-First Shopping

The Professional Advantage

Investing in Long-Term Growth

How to Build Your First Website: A 7-Step Guide for Absolute Beginners

How to Build Your First Website: A 7-Step Guide for NZ Beginners

Key Takeaways

Step 1: Define your website goal and structure

Step 2: Choose the right website builder in NZ

Step 3: Secure your domain name and hosting

Step 4: Pick a template and customise your design

Step 5: Create and add your content

Step 6: Optimise for Search Engines (SEO)

Step 7: Test, launch, and promote

E-commerce Website Design Auckland: Stand Out in a Crowded Market

E-commerce Website Design Auckland: Claim Your Share of the Multi-Billion Dollar Market

Key Takeaways

Why Mobile-First Design is Mandatory in Auckland

The Scale of the New Zealand Opportunity

Affordable Pathways to Professional E-commerce

Local SEO: Reaching Auckland Suburbs

Investing in Your Digital Future

Free Website Builders in NZ: Are They Really Free? (The Hidden Catches)

The Real Cost of Free Website Builders for New Zealand Small Businesses

Key Takeaways

The Hidden Trade-offs of Free Platforms

SEO Limitations and Search Visibility

The Honest Alternative for Kiwi Businesses

Planning for Long-Term Growth

A Small Business Guide to UX vs. UI: Why Both Matter for Your Website

UX vs UI: What’s the Difference and Why Your NZ Business Needs Both?

Key Takeaways

The Saddle and the Ride: A Simple Analogy

Why UI Matters: The Visual Handshake

The Power of UX: Turning Visitors into Customers

What a High-Performing Website Looks Like

How a Professional Website Designer Thinks

Affordable UX and UI for New Zealand Businesses

Choosing the Right Path for Your Site

Affordable Websites in Auckland: Don't Pay Big City Prices for a World-Class Site

How Much Does a Website *Really* Cost in Auckland?

Is a Facebook Page Enough? Here’s What Your Customers Think

Our Solution: High-Performance Web Design Auckland Businesses Can Afford

A Price Point for Every Budget: How Our Costs Compare

More Than Just a Website: SEO, Support, and Long-Term Growth

Stop Paying Auckland Premiums: Get Your Professional Website Today

How Much Does a Website Really Cost in Auckland?