TECHNOInterview LOGY
KEEPING UP WITH THE POST-PC ERA The legal firm Be. Legal Advocates has recently launched its new website. Money clicks with Alan Cini and Ben Pace Lehner, founders of digital agency RockSteady by Distinkt.
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he global population has gone mobile. In this post-PC era where smartphones, tablets and wearable devices are the order of the day, we are online 24x7x365. However, many businesses lack the mobile optimisation needed to meet the shift in online behaviour. Although the ability to communicate with customers is at an all-time high, connecting with them has never been harder. We’ve all been told that information should be reachable in just three clicks but is this still the case? Ultimately the goal of most websites is to have interested visitors contact you to get more information. This interest is then hopefully translated into custom. You should make this step as easy as possible for the user by finding the right balance between accessibility and scannability. As a user you need to be able to scan through a website to quickly identify the information you are after or where you need to go. How many times have you tapped on a Google search result on your mobile phone, only to find yourself looking at a webpage where the text was too small, the links were tiny, and you had to scroll sideways to see all the content? This usually happens when the website has not been optimised to be viewed on a mobile phone.
Ben Pace
Alan Cini
extensive range of resolutions, from smartphones to desktop computers. A dedicated mobile site is essentially a slimmed down version of your website, which delivers an optimised page that is smaller and easier to navigate. The solution can really customise the user interface offering a truly unique experience for mobile users. It’s a good choice when it might be too expensive to redesign responsively. How do you keep a website fresh? Websites must be designed to facilitate the ease of reading content, conveying a message, and lead to a call to action. This can be achieved through the effective use of layout, colours, typography, spacing and other elements. Also, stay simple. Users should feel comfortable when landing on your site. Start by focusing your design layout on a few valuable content items, such as where they are, who you are and what you have to offer them, without having to scroll down.
This is where the saga starts.
Furthermore, content writers must be aware of writing strategies that enable readers to quickly identify, read, and internalise information, essentially making content easy to understand.
What is responsive web design and how does it differ from a dedicated mobile site or an app? In simple terms, responsive web design is a flexible solution to provide an optimal viewing and interaction experience on different devices with an
“Left aligned text is the most readable alignment. It provides uniform or normal letter and word spacing, minimizes awkward hyphenation of words and provides the eye with a common starting point for each line,” say Alan Cini and Ben Pace Lehner.
“Distinkt was instrumental in the launch of Be. Legal Advocates’ enhanced brand identity in March 2015, which broadly comprised a new firm name and logo, stationery and a new state-of-the-art website. Alan and Ben’s creativity and clear passion for what they do is manifested in our firm’s new brand imagery, fresh colours and the significantly enhanced website functionality which has effectively enabled us to better convey who we are, where our firm has come since its inception in 2008, and how we can assist clients, in a clear and concise manner. This was a key consideration underlying our decision to go-ahead with the rebranding exercise.” Dr Richard Bernard B.A., LL.D. Managing Partner, Be. Legal Advocates What most people don’t realise is that content is far more than just text. The use of multimedia, such as properly tagged photos, videos and downloadable documents can be far more engaging, while also adding SEO value. However, while even the most effective user interface can get boring if the content is static, it’s important to keep the site alive by regularly updating its look and feel and adding new content. This will give returning visitors a new and fresh experience each time they return to your site. This article contains general information only and neither RockSteady nor any of its affiliate/s, partner/s and/or associate/s is/ are, by means of this publication, rendering professional legal advice or services. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult with your professional advisors.
Money / Issue 31 - 53