NEW ORLEANS WEB DESIGN BLOG.

Professional Web Site Design & Graphic Design in New Orleans

Information about New Orleans Web Design

Posted on March 2, 2011 by BT-Web Design

The city of New Orleans has always been famous as an artistic hub in every traditional realm of the arts, but few realize New Orleans Web Design is just as exceptional. In the midst of a city full of inspiration, web designers of New Orleans have created many pages that are creative, functional, and visually stunning.

Within this site you will find several samples of New Orleans influenced web design at its best that careful meld together all the important elements of a good web design with a local and traditional feel of the Big Easy, New Orleans.

Elements of Good Web Design

Without knowing the basic elements of web design, it’s difficult to recognize the importance of the site layout and design decisions made by web designers. Here you can get a brief overview of many of the most important elements so when making a decision on a designer for your website, you know what to recognize as signs of an unquestionably creative and talented web design.

Fonts and Typography

Though often overlooked, the text of a webpage is extremely important. A good webpage will contain large amounts of relevant and useful content, but if the text is unreadable due to poorly chosen fonts or text size or even a combination of these issues the page is not a success. Fonts should also be constant throughout the site so that site visitors do not feel like they have navigated away from the website they intended to view. It also helps simplify the page to have a constant set of fonts so readers know what to expect as they explore. It is important for the viewer to recognize reliably a header or a caption from body text.

Every good New Orleans web designer knows this basic element and will utilize it to create successful web designs.

Color

Just like every bride selects her color palette for her wedding, every good web design should have a constant set of colors brought together in order to make certain images or content stand out from the rest or help foster desired thoughts or feelings from the viewer. The color selection for a website is important to impart the site’s message and any good New Orleans web designer will effectively use color choices to drive home the message of the site.

Graphics and Images

Sometimes you want to send a message to the viewer of your page before they read any on the content on the site, or they get the idea even if they completely skip reading. This is where graphic and image choices become important. Before a site visitor reads anything, they need to know what is going on. The focal point of a page should be a high-quality graphic that fully represents the purpose of the page. The best New Orleans web designers can not only select the best images for a web page, but help create them as well.

Layout

The layout of a website is ultimately what people are thinking of when they think of web design. It is the placement of all of the elements of good web design in an effective, easy to follow format. If a visitor does not know what to do when visiting a website due to poor layout (hidden or hard to find links, misleading message and imagery) they won’t return. The best web design companies in New Orleans know precisely how to create a layout that is clean and effective.

Navigation

Navigation is an element of web design that can make or break even the most attractively designed website. Site visitors must be able to find their way through the pages of a website and find their way back to the pages they have viewed previously without having to click the back button on their browser frequently or at all. A website with well designed navigation will feature a constant navigation bar present on every page of the site, allowing the visitor the same options no matter where they go on the site and easy access to click and return to the home page. All items within the navigation menu would be organized in a manner that would make sense to the user. A New Orleans web design team worth their salt wouldn’t place contact options under a menu for family photos.

Accessibility and Usability

Ultimately a website fails if it doesn’t reach its intended audience effectively. A site intended for the hearing impaired that contains the bulk of its message in audio is a complete flop just as a website for the visually impaired that contains the bulk of its message in text. Experienced New Orleans web design companies know to make their sites accessible to as many members of the community as possible.

But what about usability? Is the site usable for users? Does it contain information that is important and relevant to them? If so is it placed so they can find what they are looking for easily? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then the website has failed. Contact a New Orleans web designer to rectify your site’s usability issues immediately.

RandazzoKingCake.com

A prime example of stellar New Orleans Web Design, Manny Randazzo’s RandozzoKingCake.com does everything a king cake website should. Designed by Benson Technology, Randazzo King Cake uses design elements to impart locality, familiarity, and makes site visitors incredibly hungry for a slice of king cake. Benson Technology’s choice of familiar Mardi Gras colors and stunning use of graphics is what absolutely pushes this website and makes it an example of local web design excellence.

A Flash Slideshow of several of Randazzo’s king cakes immediately catch the eye and makes the viewer want to see more of Randazzo’s offerings. With a continuous theme of Mardi Gras used in the color choices, no matter where a visitor to the site wanders, they never can forget why they are there—for a delicious Mardi Gras king cake, New Orleans style. Even in the navigation bar across the top (which is continuously available no matter what page a visitor goes to for ease of navigation), elements of New Orleans is used in the website design. A call to action is placed in the navigation with an “Order Now” button designed to resemble a New Orleans street sign. Layered beneath the text box to the left of the Flash Slideshow is an image of a Fleur-de-lis to further reiterate this is a local, New Orleans based business.

In addition to the design elements supporting the locality of the business, are several that also demonstrate tradition. As a business based on a long-standing family recipe, it is important for site visitors to recognize the long-standing tradition of Randazzo king cakes. Benson Technology has cleverly decided to use a floral background which gives an “aged” feel to the website while still tying in elements of New Orleans and the Randazzo brand by matching the logo in the navigation bar as well as the Fleur-de-lis present in the text box below.

In addition the exceptional New Orleans design elements, Benson Technology has designed a functional and easy-to-use navigation system throughout the website. The top navigation bar is present on all pages of the site, but in addition the top navigation, a side navigation bar with extended options appears on the left (and remains on the left throughout) on all pages except the home page. The ordering page is extremely easy to use as a site visitor only has to click on the easily recognizable “Order Now” New Orleans street sign. Once there, they are provided a calendar to select a delivery date and can enter a message for the recipient. Then they may simply add the cake to their cart by clicking the street sign beneath the order form.

Overall, RandazzoKingCake.com is an example of how New Orleans own can bring locality and web design together to create a work of art on the web.

SmithFawer.com

Smith and Fawer of New Orleans approached Benson Technology for a website design that would be unique and set them apart from their competitors. For a highly experienced and competitive law firm, nothing less than the best would do. Their New Orleans website design needed to convey to visitors their firm was competitive, local, deep-rooted, and extremely professional. They desired their website design to invoke confidence in their abilities and experience. In addition, they wanted visitors to be able to easily access relevant news items in print, audio, and video. With these goals in mind, Benson Technology sought to create a site that would be informative as well as convey their experience and success in the field of law. Because the work of Smith and Fawer extends throughout the Gulf South, they also desired visitors to easily be able to access directions to each of their offices and readily know of the services they provide. Benson Technology was up to the challenge to create a New Orleans website design that gave viewers the confidence in the professionalism, expertise, and competitive nature the law firm of Smith and Fawer deserves.

The firm’s competitive edge was taken into consideration with every decision made in the design. To evoke a feeling of locality a large photo of the New Orleans skyline was utilized in addition to a subtle fleur-de-lis background. Residents of New Orleans are firm believers in utilizing local business and the reminder of where the heart of Smith and Fawer lies is never forgotten for a moment when viewing their site. Profiles with pictures of each attorney within the firm are available to give site visitors the ability to feel more in touch as well as expand on the expertise of each member of the firm. In order to enforce the expertise and experience of the firm, their fields of expertise are also clearly defined on the home page, linking to more information on each area of practice and their previous experience in the area. Also, a page devoted to news and media coverage of cases handled by members of Smith and Fawer are available as yet another reinforcement that in over fifteen years the firm has continued to be a strong, deeply rooted, and competitive firm in the New Orleans area. The firm’s branch locations are also easily found on the site so that visitors may contact or visit a location with ease.

MaxDerbes.com

A sweeping view of the New Orleans skyline is the first thing to grab the eye of anyone visiting MaxDerbes.com. This sample of New Orleans web design by Benson Technology, immediately speaks of locality which is important to all residents of New Orleans—people with a fierce pride in their heritage and their home city. As a site for commercial and industrial real estate, a feeling of locality is absolutely essential to the success of the website design. Their purpose—Industrial and Commercial Specialists in Brokerage, Management, and Consulting—is immediately above the eye-catching skyline letting visitors know exactly the kind of business they are viewing. The Max Derbes brand is introduced and driven home with a logo in the top left and the background utilizing a repetitive image of the Derbes logo. The Derbes brand intentionally dominated the imagery of the website to impart a feel of big business and booming real estate.

Immediately below the skyline is a Promotion Reel with images and descriptions of available properties and the option for visitors to read more information about the property or flip through the reel in case they want to go back to a property rather than wait for the reel to display the image and description again. Ease of navigation is always a driving force behind any good design, and this site is no exception. Constant, top-bar navigation is available from any page within the site. From the navigation, pages of the site are organized in easy-to-find drop downs with pages placed under the main navigation that makes the most sense to any site visitor. For example, under “Available Properties” the drop-down displays the subcategories of “Industrial,” “Commercial,” and “Land.”

New Orleans web design is at its best with this site designed by the local Benson Technology.

GraysonCapps.com

Though another example of a New Orleans web design that is visually stunning, GraysonCapps.com’s real grab for site visitors is the audio. From the first instant a visitor lands on Grayson’s page they are introduced to snippets from his latest album with a slideshow of the album art. Visitors have the option the scroll through the album samples to hear songs they are interested in or allow the songs to play on loop. Benson Technology has created an amazing and functional site for the country music act, Grayson Capps and the Stumpknockers. Immediately next to the album sample and art is a listing of Grayson’s upcoming live shows. For further information about Grayson, visitors can use the top bar navigation to find out more about Grayson, his tours, discography, and even a contact page to send a message to Grayson’s team.

The presentation of GraysonCapps.com is fairly simple and straight forward as a website for a New Orleans musician. Any information that a visitor would need to know about Grayson is prominent on the site and for those that want more, additional information is available. Attesting to his credibility as a musician is a page dedicated to news and reviews involving Grayson Capps and his performances. Ultimately this New Orleans web design is an example of form and function seamlessly meshing.

Benson Technology successfully melds together a very simple design to effectively create a successful website for yet another New Orleans client.

Posted in Web Design New Orleans | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Information about Baton Rouge Web Design

Posted on March 1, 2011 by BT-Web Design

As the capitol of Louisiana, only the best and most professional are acceptable in Baton Rouge web design. Web designers of Baton Rouge use their extensive knowledge, experience, and professionalism to help create pages that support local business in Baton Rouge.

You can expect to find within this site some of the best examples of professionally created web designs for Baton Rouge businesses. These sites are some of the best, but each of these businesses did not have to go far to find a local web design company that understood their needs and could lend a local feel to their pages.

Elements of Good Web Design

Without knowing the basic elements of web design, it’s difficult to recognize the importance of the site layout and design decisions made by Baton Rouge web designers. Here you can get a brief overview of many of the most important elements so when making a decision on a designer for your website, you know what to recognize as signs of an unquestionably creative and talented web design.

Fonts and Typography

Though often overlooked, the text of a webpage is extremely important. A good webpage will contain large amounts of relevant and useful content, but if the text is unreadable due to poorly chosen fonts or text size or even a combination of these issues the page is not a success. Fonts should also be constant throughout the site so that site visitors do not feel like they have navigated away from the website they intended to view. It also helps simplify the page to have a constant set of fonts so readers know what to expect as they explore. It is important for the viewer to recognize reliably a header or a caption from body text as they skim through the text of the site.

Every good Baton Rouge web designer knows this basic element and will utilize it to create successful web designs.

Color

Part of branding a business and creating a web design that matches is selecting a color palette that exemplifies the ideals of the business. Colors should be constant throughout the site so visitors know where they are, feel at home, and remember the brand. The color selection for a website is important to impart the site’s message and any good Baton Rouge web designer will effectively use color choices to drive home the message of the site.

Graphics and Images

Eye-catching graphics or images that reinforce the image of a brand or business are important to every good website. This is where graphic and image choices become important. Before a site visitor reads anything, they need to know what is going on and whose site they are viewing. The focal point of a page should be a high-quality graphic that fully represents the purpose of the page. The best Baton Rouge web designers can not only select the best images for a web page, but help create them as well to represent your business to its fullest potential.

Layout

The layout of a website is ultimately what people are thinking of when they think of web design. It is the placement of all of the elements of web design in an effective, easy to follow format. If a visitor does not know what to do when visiting a website due to poor layout (hidden or hard to find links, misleading message and imagery) they won’t return. Visitors to a site need to be able to find the information that is essential to them and know without thinking how they are supposed to react to the site—whether it be to buy a product, schedule a consultation, or simply continue reading. The best web design companies in Baton Rouge know precisely how to create a layout that is clean, effective, and highly professional.

Navigation

Navigation is an element of web design that can make or break even the most attractively designed website. Site visitors must be able to find their way through the pages of a website and find their way back to the pages they have viewed previously without having to click the back button on their browser frequently or even at all. A website with well designed navigation will feature a constantly present navigation bar on every page of the site, allowing the visitor the same options no matter where they go on the site and easy access to click and return to the home page. All items within the navigation menu would be organized in a manner that would make sense to the user. A Baton Rouge web design team worth their salt wouldn’t place contact options under a menu for family photos.

Accessibility and Usability

Ultimately a website fails if it doesn’t reach its intended audience effectively. A site intended for the hearing impaired that contains the bulk of its message in audio is a complete flop just as a website for the visually impaired that contains the bulk of its message in text. Experienced Baton Rouge web design companies know to make their sites accessible to as many members of the community as possible.

In addition to being accessible to as many members of the community as possible, a well designed website needs to be usable. No matter what the purpose of the site, there should always be content and information that is important, useful, and relevant to the visitor. All content within the site should be easily found through a well designed navigation. If visitors cannot find what they are looking for or return to the information they previously found easily, then the site is not useful to them. If you are concerned your page is not maintaining a steady stream of return visitors, contact a Baton Rouge web designer to solve your site’s usability issues immediately.

www.MCA-LLC.com

Web Site Design Baton Rouge, LouisianaAnother sample of a professional web design from Benson Technology, Marrero, Couvillon, and Associates, LLC. needed a site that would reflect their brand and their business. Their site, www.MCA-LLC.com, is polished and complete with the color choices of green, white, and grey reflecting the color palette of their logo. Visitors to this site don’t have to guess what the purpose of their business it as it is prominently placed in a text box near an image of engineering drawings and equipment. Directly to the left is a vertical site menu that allows visitors to quickly find more information about the company.

Beneath the navigation, image, and text box is a list of their specialties with a blurb about each. The site is clean and professional, giving visitors confidence in the service provided by Marrero, Couvillon, and Associates. Benson Technology has definitely taken Baton Rouge web design to another level.

CEDBR.com

Web Design Baton RougeAs the nation’s largest electrical supply network, CED needed a website for its Baton Rouge location that was clean, polished, and easy to navigate. With the help of Benson Technology, a website was created to help reinforce the brand and business of CED, Consolidated Electrical Distributors. The site was given a crisp feel with the clean white back ground with grey highlights, and blue and gold text. The site is easy to read and to the point. A quick response form is available on the front page to encourage visitors to get in contact with CED right away! This rapid response form remains available on every page so that visitors do not have to navigate away from the information they are viewing in order to get in contact with CED. Also to encourage contact, CED’s Baton Rouge address and phone number are available at the top of every page next to the logo.

Across the top is a horizontal navigation bar that remains constant no matter where a visitor goes within the site. All of their important links are available there so that a visitor can find the information they are seeking quickly and easily. Benson Technology has combined all of the essential elements to create another prime example of Baton Rouge web design.

LawyerBatonRouge.com

Baton Rouge Web DesignWilliamson, Fontenot, and Campbell came to Benson Technology for a web design that would secure their place as the lawyers to go to in Baton Rouge. With a professional and cutting edge Baton Rouge web design, they can rest assured they stay steps ahead of the rest. With a Flash Slideshow immediately catching the eye of any visitor to the site, they know immediately what to do. Right next to the Flash Slideshow is a quick form for scheduling a consultation and to the other side is a list of their specialties which links to summaries of each.

Any visitor to the site can easily learn more about the firm by reading the blurb below the slideshow on the homepage, or they can simply use the horizontal navigation bar above the slideshow to tour the website and find additional information. They can even read about each member of the firm to know more about the men who may be representing them. Links to recent news items are also available from the homepage.

Here is yet another sterling example of Baton Rouge web design by a professional web design company, Benson Technology.

WestBatonRouge.net

This site designed by Benson Technology is a prime example of a website helping support a business’s signature trademark. The logo of West Baton Rouge’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau features the Mississippi River Bridge as part of its trademark and as an emphasis on this, the first image to catch a visitor’s eye is the stunning graphic of the bridge as the sun sets. The color scheme chosen for this website also supports the logo, utilizing red, black, and white throughout the pages.

Directly under the graphic of the Mississippi River Bridge is a scrolling text that functions a link to any major event the site choose to promote in that section. A vertical navigation menu is placed on the left so that the site may easily expand their link list without it becoming heavily bogged down in submenus. Each set of links has a header set apart from the rest with a different typeface and color for emphasis.

The navigation is simple and easy to use so that visitors to the site can quickly find out what events are being hosted by the West Baton Rouge Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and even submit an event if they have one coming up. Their contact information is simple to find and even includes a quick email form so that visitors can get in contact with them without ever leaving the page.

This sample of Baton Rouge web design from Benson Technology is an excellent sample of a professional website that is accessible and user friendly.

Posted in Web Design Baton Rouge | Tagged , , ,

How to Choose a Web Design Company in New Orleans

Posted on January 21, 2011 by BT-Web Design

Choosing a New Orleans web design company can be a daunting task. Benson Technology highly recommends shopping around and doing the research to find the right web design firm to fit your company and project needs. Time and time again our new clients come to us with existing websites that have gone stale because the relationship with their web design company has gone sour. Do not let this happen to you! We put this list and advice together to help ensure that you have a meaningful and productive web design experience.

Web Design

Creating a website that is appealing is just as important as maintaining the quality of content and services your business offers. Shoppers are very visual, and if your website doesn’t inspire them to stay on your website for more than 5 seconds, you may have just lost a customer. The design of your web site reflects on how your business looks. Your web design needs to showcase the products and services your business offers in a format that is easily viewable to attract new customers in order for them to proceed with their decision whether or not they will choose you.

Many web design companies, specifically in New Orleans, offer a variety of options and styles. A web design should be unique… it should be customized to fit YOUR business.

Flash Web Design vs HTML

We’ll keep this section short and sweet, since Flash is more trouble than it’s worth.

Web designs should not be 100% Flash! It’s 2011… the day in age where many people use mobile devices. Your web site needs to be fitted to allow for maximum visitors, across all platforms, whether it be from a PC, Mac, cell phone, Netbook or a tablet. These devices have different requirements — meaning some allow for Flash to be viewable, and some don’t.

Choose a local New Orleans Web Design Company

This section is for those of you who have started doing research and decided to go with a local web design company in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Hammond or surrounding areas of Louisiana. You’ve probably noticed how many local web design firms there are in the New Orleans area. If so, here’s some helpful guidlines when choosing a New Orleans web design company:

  • Check their web design portfolio – Ensure the company has previously done professional and unique web design work.
  • Local Clients – Check for local clients in their portfolio. If they have some, contact the client and ask if they are satisfied with their current web design company.
  • Communication – Open communication is key. Web designers should be willing to work directly with you to develop a custom website layout. Tell the designer what you like and dislike, and be honest! With shared ideas and regular feedback, the outcome will be a website that is perfect for you and your target audience. Most importantly, you will be happy.
  • Be Above Your Competitors – Be sure to find out what types of Search Engine Optimization packages the web design company offers. In fact, be sure their web layouts are SEO optimized! SEO optimized means that headings and text should not be images. Images are not read by screen readers and search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.
  • Content Management System – This is a HUGE factor, and probably the most important one of all, when choosing a web design company. You want to be able to have a flexible and easy-to-use content management system that allows you to update your website, rather than sending changes to the company and letting them charge you for updating a couple sentences every week.
  • Unlimited Number of Pages – What would you say if you had to pay an average of $50 per page on your website? Pretty ridiculous, right? Several web design companies in the New Orleans area charge on a per-page basis. Make sure the company you choose to go with doesn’t have a limit on the number of pages you can have. View more information about Unlimited Website Pages.
Posted in Web Design New Orleans | Tagged , , , ,

Client: Manny Randazzo King Cakes

Posted on January 21, 2011 by BT-Web Design

Manny Randazzo King Cakes, New Orleans, LAThe New Orleans Mardi Gras season is well-known throughout the world for its magnificent crowd, parades, masquerade balls and king cake parties.

Randazzo King Cakes in New Orleans, Louisiana is a full-service bakery that opened in 1992 under the direction of Manny’s father. The family’s King Cake was in such high demand that in 1995 Manny decided to devote his business to baking their famous king cakes, and nothing else. Today, Manny Randazzo has not only become popular in New Orleans, but across the nation with year-round overnight delivery, offering Traditional Cinnamon, Cream Cheese, Royal, Pecan Praline, Apple, Strawberry and Lemon King Cakes. Seasonal King Cakes are available as well for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving and just about any other holiday you can think of. Manny Randazzo’s has other specialties for football season, including a Tiger Tail (LSU) and Fleur-de-Licious (New Orleans Saints) King Cakes.

New Orleans: Effective Web Design


Benson Technology is pleased to be apart of this great tradition. Manny sought our services to redesign  the web site for his New Orleans business including an e-commerce solution with major customizations to handle bulk ordering, clients choice of ship date, and a smooth shipping/delivery process. The results are spectacular.

Posted in Web Design New Orleans | Tagged , , , , ,

To New Orleans Businesses: Unlimited Web Site Pages

Posted on January 19, 2011 by BT-Web Design

Benson Technology is a web site design company in the New Orleans area, dedicated to assisting businesses no matter the size.  While you’re searching for web design companies in New Orleans, you see many companies offering similar “packages” and within those “packages” they offer several add-ons for an additional price.

What exactly makes Benson Technology different from other Web Design companies in New Orleans, Louisiana?

We believe our clients should feel like their website is limitless. It’s important to note that most web design companies charge on a per-page basis which is something we don’t do. The number of pages your website can have is unlimited. The majority of web design companies are charging $50 or more per page on top of the web design layout.

What services do we offer our new & existing clients?

Not only are our clients important to us, the content displayed on their websites is very important. The content on one’s website makes or breaks it. Everything should be formatted in an organized fashion that is easy to read and find information quickly.

Existing Clients

Benson Technology creates the pages on your new website and transfers the content/pictures from your old website to the new one. We take the time to make sure the content is formatted in a manner you and your visitors will enjoy.

New Clients

For our new clients, we set up template pages when temporary text and images so you get the full picture of how well your website will look when it is filled with content. And again, we take the time to make sure it’s formatted in a manner you and your visitors will enjoy.

Posted in Web Design New Orleans | Tagged , ,