Why you should Stop Using CAPTCHAs

CAPTCHA stands for “Completely Automated Public Turing test you tell Computers and Humans Apart,” and their most used purposed it to stop automated submissions of web forms, like registration or contact forms. Those robots, they’re such tricky fellows.

While us normal folk think that CAPTCHAs are benefiting us, they are actually harming the usability of your website. Nowadays CAPTCHAs are becoming less and less legible, which is making actual humans leave pages out of frustration. And would you look at that your competition doesn’t have annoying CAPTCHAs to deal with, you just gave your competition a new client.

Another thing you probably haven’t even thought of is that as a web designer you aren’t really subject to the bots, so you’re just making your website suffer from the conformist approach to avoid them.

There are other ways to avoid bots:

  1. Simple math questions, for example to validate that someone is human you can just make them answer what is 2 + 2.
  2. Use Javascript, a Javascript function is called to perform some simple arithmetic and push the result into a hidden field which is then verified server-side. This is a good one to use if you know that your user-base is going to have Javascript installed, but it may prove to be counterproductive for those who have Javascript disabled.
  3.  Use pictures, for example you can ask your customer to click on the telephone amongst pictures of cats to proceed.
  4.  Ask them to complete a simple task, you can ask them to spell toothpaste or another simple word.
  5. Use a service like Akismet, an excellent spam-filtering service for blog comments.
  6. Or you can just put up with it; it’s up to you. Weigh the pros and cons and figure out what’s best for you.

10 Quick tips to improve your Website

How do you know your blog or website is performing at it’s best?

Miami Web Design Pro is about to show you 10 more ways to improve your website and really be satisfied with it’s performance…

1- Key Content Hidden “Below the fold” - always keep in mind that you only have a small window of opportunity to really get the attention of a visitors once they land on your site.  Be sure to have vital content or even a Facebook fan page widget in  a area where its visible to a visitor with out actually having to scroll down too excessively. To much scrolling to find anything on your site means the visitor will get bored in a matter of seconds and leave your page.

2- Long Flash Intro -  AVOID!! Flash is dead or at least dying out of existence. No one likes to spend the time anymore sitting through an annoying flash intro before actually seeing the content on your site. Instead impress visitors with your knowledge and the relevance of your content. Maybe look into incorporating CSS into your design to have some animated effects which are ten times better then flash.

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Six Little Tricks that Your Site Needs

The Internet has every kind of website imaginable, each one different and unique in its own way; but no matter how far alike two websites may be they all need to have a couple of staples. Miami Web Design Pro is about to run down the list of things that every website should have.
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Okay, so they’re cool, but are they effective?

We’re talking about Touchscreen Tablets. Miami Web Design Pro loves playing with the newest web design gadgets, because let’s face it: we’re a bunch of geeks. When we’re designing a website we prefer to start our ideas on paper. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a great website wasn’t immediately begun it requires planning. Most designers use sketchpads or just plain ol’ paper, but in today’s day-and-age a sketchpad is become quite rustic, and unpractical because of the size. Okay so what’s the solution? Well you can scan it but it might not be as crisp, or look at good. Or you can take a picture, but we all know the quality won’t be the same. So what’s the real solution? Well Touchscreen Tablets may just do the trick.
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The Overestimated Power of Web Design

Although a beautifully designed website does help in propelling your business to new heights, it will not do it all. It is not a magical key, hard work and other strategies are needed to promote you and your company. Miami Web Design Pro can help you accomplish the following goals.

Design cannot be your only plan.
You need to have a plan in place. Marketing and advertising plans are needed to make your business successful. You need to remember what you’re selling, and whom exactly you’re selling to. You need to gear your website towards those potential customers.

Design cannot make up for your lack of message.
No matter how gorgeous a design is you need to first think of what you want to say. You have to make your customers want to stay with intriguing and engrossing content. It needs to be informative as well as persuasive. Knowledge is power when it comes to web sites.

Design is about your company
Never focus on what you want or what you would like, focus on what your customers want to see and read. So who cares if you despise the color purple? If the market you’re trying to sell to bleeds purple then your website better look like Barney threw up all over it.

Although an appealing and lovely website are needed to attract customers, because who are we kidding no one wants to surf a bland and hideous page, web design cannot be your only tool. You need to know what you’re selling, whom you are selling to, and how you’re going to make them pick you over your competitors. Web Design Miami can teach you how.

Does your website conversion suck?

The vision that every successful business website should have is to sell their product or service. The main goal is to draw customers in, and entice them to be interested in your company.

Here are 7 ways you can kill any chances of conversion.

Web Design Suicide Method #1: Slow-loading pages and graphics
If your website is taking too long to load then you’re in trouble. In today’s market consumers and potential clients are impatient and they want their information instantly. You should reduce the file size of the graphics on your page, specify the dimensions of your graphics files in your HTML code, and avoid graphics files, instead use colored text.

Web Design Suicide Method #2: Your visitors’ attention isn’t grabbed.
An attention-grabbing headline is as necessary to your website as dihydrogen monoxide is to you. You have to capture the reader’s attention as well as provide information about you and your company. For example just check out our website Miami Web Design Pro, the colors and information are eye-catching!

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What are your clients looking for in your website

If you’re a small business owner, you’re in luck. Experts say that customers prefer small business to large corporations because they appreciate the intimate atmosphere as well as the attentiveness. This small Miami Web Design Firm is also in luck because we are a small Miami Web Design Company. “People want character; it has meaning,” adds Kelly Cutler, chief executive of Marcel Media, a Chicago-based Web advisory firm. You need to offer a window into yourself and your personality as well as business for your customers to see.

Customers want to know:

Are you unique, and what makes you that way?
Be honest, be intriguing, and be interesting when describing your company and who you are, as well as your team. Keep it simple, and short.

K.I.S.
Keep It Simple, make sure your customers know your services and products. Do not beat around the bush. Be clear and concise, especially on your homepage. But you also need to keep a balance, keeping your customers wanting more so that they will contact you.

An address and phone number are necessary.
A concrete phone number and a genuine location help build credibility.

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Miami Web Design and Internet Marketing Blog

We intend to use this blog as an information gateway to our clients and anybody else interested in growing their business with the power of the internet. Since the  much of our clients are new to the world of internet marketing we will post some basic and insightful information to get their feet wet. We plan to also share some Search Engine Optimization , Social Media Marketing , Web Design and Development and general business insights and tips as well as the occasional geek speak and tech talk.

Miami Web Design Pro is a Miami based web design and internet marketing company that integrates innovative marketing strategies with web designs to offer well rounded and kick ass internet marketing campaigns for entrepreneurs and small businesses.