Simplex Design blog : 10 Great Fonts That Will Take Your Website Design to Another Level

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10 Great Fonts That Will Take Your Website Design to Another Level Posted: 30 Jan 2014 12:07 AM PST Fonts have personalities. Sometimes markedly so. And so does your website. Every business has a message to convey. How you design your website will determine, and be determined by, this message. So that you don't deviate from the spirit of your website, it's important to design it in a way that resonates with the spirit of your business. Imagine the WWE website being in pink with a Georgia font. You get the point. Since the world of fonts is huge, it's easy to lose sight of what would be best suited for your purpose. We've sifted through the maze and have brought you the best fonts you could use to give that extra edge to your website. Try them on for size; you might find them good enough for keeps. Here they are in no particular order. Proxima Nova Image: MyFonts.net This font family has taken on Justin Beiber-like popularity. By that we don't mean it's as popular as the pop star, but more like its popularity has invited sustained barbs. It just doesn't go down well with some. Regardless of that though, this is an excellent font type for almost any type of body copy. Stuck for ideas and don't know which way to go? And you have to be a web designer to appreciate just how handy that is! Proxima Nova will sort you out more often than not, unless you write incredibly personal or cheesy poetry. In which case you may find Proxima Nova a tad too crisp. Get it here: http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/marksimonson/proxima-nova/ Capita Image: KreativFont.com An extremely attractive font with a classical touch to it, and yet modern enough to fit right in on Roberto Cavalli's website. I guess what I mean is that this font is more suited to websites with a creative bent. If you're a fashion blogger, a cookery enthusiast, or a DIY specialist, be sure to give it a go! Get it here: http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/hoftype/capita/ Autour One Image: Awwards.com A quirky and delightful font for those who want to give their website an edge. In large chunks it may hinder readability so we recommend using it in short bursts, headlines, or in other strategic places for maximum impact. Get it here: http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/autour-one Fjord Image: AltFonts.com An extremely versatile font that can be used for any type of copy, and especially those of a personal nature. This typeface has a natural flow to it, which makes reading intuitive and easy. Best suited for semi-casual writing, especially when you need it to be in larger text. Get it here: http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/fjord Sanchez Slab Image: MyFonts.net This Serif typeface is one of the best fonts for professional-looking copy for corporate websites, educational institutes, or travel blogs. Wow, that's quite a range. What we are driving at is that this font conveys information well. It has a certain amount of gravity to it, which enhances the copy's credibility. It is serious looking but not boring. For best results, use it in short paragraphs. Get it here: http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/sanchez Mission Gothic Image: GraphicDesignJunction.com This font type is bold, attractive, and expands well. It is also easy on the eye and very readable, all of which makes it a perfect choice for instances where you want the copy to stand out. For example, listing the findings of a survey, advertising a drop in prices, or citing top 10 brands in your niche. Once again, very professional and marketing-worthy font. Get it here: http://www.losttype.com/missiongothic/ Helvetica Neue Image: XDA-Developers.com Expensive, but web designers swear by it. Why? Because it has a classy feel to it. It's readable and clean, which may explain why Apple chose it for iOS 7. In bigger sizes this font takes on a very strong personality. It commands attention, unlike some other fonts that simply blend into the background (which also has its uses). It's among the best fonts for copy with a no-nonsense feel to it, which explains its universal popularity. Use Helvetica smartly to create the desired impact. Get it here: http://www.linotype.com/1266/neuehelvetica-family.html Pacifico Image: DesignShack.net A beautiful decorative font to lend a personal touch and loads of holiday charm to your website. Especially suited for e-commerce websites around sale periods. Get it here: http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/pacifico Telegrafico Image: Abduzeedo.com The most reliable font when it comes to headlines and titles. Given the tremendous punch this font packs, it won't be an exaggeration to call it mighty impressive. Creates the desired impact while being very easy to read. Get it here: http://www.dafont.com/telegrafico.font Lev Serif Image: FontSpring.com Among the best fonts for websites and blogs with a personal nature. Also looks very well in big captions to interesting photos. If you've got loads of pictures or quotes on your website, you must give this font a consideration. Get it here: http://www.linotype.com/1212034/LevSerif-family.html Conclusion (not a font) The above are just some of the fonts you can use to improve the appearance of your website. As mentioned earlier, this space is simply vast. Which fonts would suit you the best would depend on the type of website you run. Remember though that the fonts don't do much on their own, it's how you use them in the larger scheme of things that matters. So give these a try and keep experimenting till you find the one best for you. And if you have any good fonts of your own to share, do leave a comment and let us know! About Guest Blogger  Lori Wagoner is the Web Community Manager for Ink Colour, a prominent printing equipment retailer in the UK and authorised dealer of HP Deskjet Ink Cartridges and other toner brands. Lori has blogged at Tweak Your Biz, Get Entrepreneurial and many other business and tech blogs. You can reach her @LoriDWagoner on Twitter.

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Simplex Design blog : Using 3rd party service to host your online store

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Using 3rd party service to host your online store Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:14 AM PST So you're setting up your brand new online store and are ready to get selling. But are you ready to set up a dedicated server, keep it perfectly maintained and hire an IT person to help with the inevitable software glitches? Chances are, unless you're an IT person yourself, the answer is no. Thankfully, you don't have to.  Self-serve shopping carts are a necessity for large corporations with thousands of employees and millions of products sold each year, but for the other 99 percent of the eCommerce world there's a better solution. Leave the Shopping cart outside of website Unless you're in the process of trying to exactly duplicate the business practices of Amazon, you probably want to invest in a hosted shopping cart. This is a pre-packaged, perfectly bundled and easily installed system that's hosted off your server, leaving security, software, and support up to an external company. Shopping cart hosting requires an ongoing subscription, but at the end of the day it's actually more likely to save you money to have your cart hosted and maintained by professionals. This is one case where the "do it yourself" mentality needs to be left at the door. The cost of server purchase, setup, maintenance, software programming and contracting an IT professional to help when things go wrong will almost certainly go above and beyond the small monthly cost of a hosted shopping cart. The best hosted cart system offers the following benefits: Promise of a quick launch, with or without technical skills. User-friendly interface. Online support and coaching to get started on the right foot. Add-ons and upgrades available as needed. Compliance and Certification In 2010, less than 7 percent of shopping carts, hosted and non-hosted, were PCI compliant.  Now, this is a requirement to process credit cards online, and waiting for your compliance certification can take a bite out of the time you have to get your store up and running. However, compliance with these security standards offers benefits to all businesses by improving your reputation with other businesses, proof that your systems are secure, and the promise to your customers that you can be trusted with their sensitive payment information without worry. Confident, trusting customers are more likely to come back and shop with you again. Thankfully, one of the best features of a hosted shopping cart is the added security. Using a hosted shopping cart promises PCI compliance from the get-go, letting you hit the ground running from the moment you launch your eCommerce website by securely accepting all major credit cards. Built for Speed Another great feature of a hosted shopping cart is the promise of faster load time. Because your online store isn't carrying the full weight of the shopping cart on your personal server, overall load time is quicker and credit card processing is faster, a must for any eCommerce website. If your shopping cart takes too long to process, you're not very likely to keep your customers' interest—the average online shopping cart abandonment rate is close to 68 percent. If there's anything you can offer an online shopper to keep them from the old "cut and run," it's definitely best to offer it as early in the checkout experience as possible. There are many different options for managing your shopping cart and choosing which company to host with. Check the features and security, and even look into some reviews of the best hosted carts in the market to choose the one that will work best for you and your business. Remember, just because you're running your own store doesn't mean you have to do all the work yourself. About Guest Blogger Olivia Pransky is writer of Dezine Robotics website - a one stop platform for those who are in need of quality and unique information. Dezine Robotics will prove to be an informational hub for such as Web Design and Development Resources, Tips and Tutorials, WordPress, Inspiration and many more. You can check his writing in website or follow on facebook and twitter @DezineRobotics

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Simplex Design blog : The Power of Photos for Your Blog Posts

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The Power of Photos for Your Blog Posts Posted: 07 Jan 2014 10:51 PM PST Think twice before omitting an image from your blog post. Taking the time to complement your exceptional content with a high-quality photo can not only help catch the eye of your reader, but improve a post's social media prowess, and building your brand and providing value as a result. Increased Social Activity If your online content isn't promoted on social monsters Facebook and Twitter, it may as well cease to exist. People rely on Facebook as a space for connecting with brands and obtaining interesting information—your blog's content. Image-driven posts elicit increased activity, from user clicks to shares and re-tweets. Since the Internet is overloaded with available and accessible information, you need to stay highly competitive and engaging. Promote original, high-quality content and posts with good visuals that compel people to not only read your content, but share it with others. In 2012, HubSpot compared the number of likes per photo to likes per average post (e.g. text, link and photo) of 8,800 Facebook posts from various company Facebook pages. The study revealed that posts with photos had 53 percent more likes than an average post. Photo posts also generated 104 percent more comments. An eye-catching visual can increase the post's social visibility and interaction, thus driving traffic back to your website. HubSpot also found that their own photo posts got clicked on 84 percent more than text and link posts. Wondering if your imagery is effective? You can gain insight on how effectively your content engages with audiences on social media with a platform like "Spredfast". Branding & Value Imagery supports your blog's brand and helps foster relationships with your audience. Consistently using visuals that are similar in quality, size and style can create a connection and build relationships with your readers. Just like your content, your visuals serve as your voice and identity. Readers of a fashion or crafting blog can become more invested in and emotionally moved by content complemented by photos that capture the essence of the article. Use custom photos to photo-brand creative content or even images from iStockPhoto.com for an inventory of photos and illustrations that can embody your brand and enhance your content. E-commerce sites can also increase branding and credibility by showcasing a product with an accurate image. A high-quality image is not only more effective, but more valuable to a customer than a textual product description. Photo Blogging Tips Photos are like your content's publicist. A post's picture can draw a reader in and increase the appeal of your content. As a supplement to your content, a photo will enhance the quality and effectiveness of your post. Digital Relevance offers the following tips for choosing photos: Make sure a photo is relevant to the post Use photos that feature an identifiable subject in sharp focus Be aware of too much noise in a photo Try to not repeat photos too frequently or use generic photos Go for images with striking values, such as a bold color, contrast, composition, character, or theme Take original photos and format them Optimize images for search visibility, and make sure they're shareable for social media About Guest Blogger Robert Bradley is a retired sales manager who likes to blog to pass on his wisdom. His favorite motto is "be the path of least resistance."

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