Compare the Best PBX Phone Systems of 2020

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Compare and find the top business PBX phone systems at VoipReview. PBX stands for “Private Branch Exchange.” With a PBX phone system, you can lower telephone costs for your office by assigning extensions to various employees, instead of paying for separate phone lines for each employee with a phone.

Below, you can compare the best business PBX phone systems that can supply service and equipment for an IP PBX telephone system.

Find out how much you can save today with anIP PBX

Compare top IP PBX providers in the table below

Alliance Phones Alliance Phones Cloud PBX

  • Cloud PBX
  • Groups of extensions
  • Unlimited minutes

12% discount for subscribing and paying for a year upfront.

$ 19.97 /mo.*

*Rates shown do not include E-911 charges, taxes, and surcharges. Most providers offering unlimited calling have restrictions and some rates shown are promotional rates based on term contracts or promotional periods. Be sure to read individual providers terms and conditions before you buy. Rates and features displayed for each provider have been sourced from provider’s site and other online sources. While we strive to display current information, be sure to check directly with each provider as their plans, pricing, and features are subject to change.

computer cloud communications

What Does a Business PBX Offer?

A business PBX is a scalable and customizable phone solution for your business.

For some companies, an on-premise PBX is a more viable option than a hosted PBX.

An on-premise PBX phone system gives you:

  • More features flexibility, because the equipment is on-site and owned by your company.
  • More control over managing your phone system’s daily operations.
  • No surprises. If you own your broadband telephone system, you know what to expect.
  • A simple way to expand your phone system when your company expands.

However, it should be noted that an on-premise PBX is definitely a much more expensive option, considering that a business has to pay for all of the equipment up-front. 

Depending on your business’s needs, an on-premise VoIP PBX, IP-PBX, or virtual business PBX, (like the one offered by Jive) may fit your needs better than a hosted PBX service. Hardware companies can also make a cost difference with a Cheap IP PBX.

Do you want to learn more about business VoIP? If you’re interested in finding out why switching to VoIP is the best choice you can make for your business:

  1. How to switch to Business VoIP
  2. Enterprise VoIP
  3. Business VoIP Reliability

Are you a business considering a VoIP system? See how it can make all the difference:

  1. Compare PBXs
  2. The Real Value of Business VoIP Phone Service
  3. Is VoIP Right For Your Business?
  4. Open Source PBX Software

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Benefits of PBX Phone Systems

Traditional PBX phone systems replaced the earlier key systems that companies used as their small business phone system. Key systems used phones with lights on the bottom of the phone to indicate a line was in use. But once PBX systems became affordable for small businesses, PBX phone systems became the standard for most small business telephone service. PBX phone systems are more efficient than key systems. PBX phone systems are faster and use fewer outside lines. Here’s where they are really different:

Key Systems

  • Key systems used dedicated lines. That meant busy signals.
  • Callers had to use a specific ‘outside line’ to make outbound phone calls.
  • Required more external lines.
  • Key system callers had to call a main line and be transferred. No direct inward dialing (DID).

PBX Systems

  • There’s DID and extension-to-extension dialing on PBX phone systems.
  • PBX phone systems feature line “pools” that allow for next-available use.
  • With SIP trunking, fewer outside lines are needed.
  • PBX offers more internal extensions and scalability.
  • PBX includes automation and convenience features, such as voicemail.
  • PBX offers after-hours messages, directory service, music-on-hold, and other features.
  • PBX systems handle and route calls in-house using a local circuit switch, so phone bills for local phone service are lower.
  • Can be hooked up to conference room microphones.

voice over internet protocol pbx questions

Exactly What Does a PBX Do?

In its most basic of terms, a PBX is a telephone switch operator within a business.

A PBX assigns extensions to employees and departments and transfers calls accordingly. without a PBX, a business would have to purchase a new phone line for each employee.

One of the main features of a PBX is an auto attendant, which will answer callers with a message and help them reach the proper extension.

An auto attendant assures that a customer or caller will never hear a busy signal. Instead, they will be transferred to an available employee or to a company voicemail. You can also set up rules for after-hours callers, callers from specific numbers – basically, an auto attendant means that you can always control the impression you make on your customers.

Types of VoIP PBX Solutions

Hosted PBX

Hosted PBX is the cheapest solution for a professional office phone system. Hosted PBX works very well for small businesses, under 20 or so employees.

No equipment is required for the PBX system – you only need VoIP service and an Internet connection. The VoIP provider hosts, maintains, and operates all the equipment at its own site (Hosted VoIP is also known as Managed VoIP). Configuration is easy or even non-existent in some cases, and the phone system is already set up – so you don’t have to configure it on your own.

Hosted PBX usually charges per seat or per user.

IP PBX

For larger business phone systems, IP PBX is a more appropriate option. IP PBX, Internet Protocol PBX, can interact with both VoIP and the public switched teleph
one network. Basically, IP PBX allows you to implement your own PBX, which can save you money with a large business or operation.

IP PBX can be either hardware, software, or both. It is sometimes called digital PBX when you run your own IP PBX software.

Equipment for hardware IP PBX systems can run into the thousands of dollars, but after paying upfront costs you can save money in the long run because you are only paying for Internet service, not telephony.

SIP Trunking for PBX

If you already have a hardware PBX, you can use SIP trunking to convert the phone system to VoIP. You’ll be able to pay cheaper VoIP prices for each phone line, instead of paying for analog phone lines.

Usually IP PBXs work with SIP trunking to set up a new phone system or renovate an existing system.

Virtual PBX

Virtual PBX is much like hosted PBX but it is a more basic service overall. You get essential features like voicemail, call forwarding, and extensions. Outbound calling is not usually included. For a complete phone system, you will have to get an additional PBX service.

using a voip-enabled phonevoice over internet protocol

The VoIP PBX Advantage

If PBX phone systems can do all that, why not stick with a traditional PBX? Why switch to a VoIP PBX phone system? There are a lot of reasons to make the switch to VoIP PBX. The major reasons to choose a VoIP PBX business phone system are cost, flexibility, convenience, and integration.

  • VoIP PBX systems are less expensive than traditional PBX phone service. Whether hosted or on-premises, VoIP PBX phone systems have less moving parts and machinery — almost everything is accomplished by software. That means fewer expenditures on service, repair, and upgrades than a traditional PBX. VoIP lines are also cheaper than analog lines.
  • VoIP PBX phone systems are easy to adapt to your business’ changing needs. VoIP phone systems are flexible and easy when it comes to adding or subtracting lines/extensions, changing locations, or adding/subtracting additional features.
  • VoIP phone systems can offer efficient call control features to small business phone system clients that would be too expensive (or not supported) with a traditional PBX. VoIP PBX phone systems offer call controls such as:
    • call flip
    • call waiting
    • click-to-dial
    • call record
    • caller ID with call waiting
    • voicemail-to-email
  • VoIP phone service makes it easy to connect with the office, wherever you are. Cell phones can be extensions, even using DIDs. Faxes can arrive in email inboxes. Voicemail messages can be transcribed and sent as email, or attached to an email as a soundclip.

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PBX Systems 101 Understanding a Standard PBX

Traditional Standard PBX Switchboard

Traditional Standard PBX Switchboard

A PBX, or Private Branch Exchange System, serves a private network of telephones in an office and acts as the gateway from a company to the outside world.A traditional standard PBX is a physical, on-site switching system that performs these central functions and hooks up to the public switched telephone system (PSTN). The PSTN connects the world’s telephone lines, cellular and satellite communications networks, and others, allowing us to hear a voice on the other end of the line.Leading hosted PBX solutionscan offer the same basic PBX features and more for 40-80% less.

A PBX system routes incoming calls to the appropriate extension in an office. It also allows businesses to share phone lines between extensions. Standard PBX users can add features and functions to better suit a business. However, with the physical limitations of this technology, every change or enhancement requires massive reconfigurations performed by a trained telephone technician.

The range of features offered by a PBX system varies. The price of the equipment and service required to introduce these features hampers their availability due to the high level of maintenance required. Primary functions of PBX phones include:

  • A single business number that gives access to all company employees and departments
  • A menu of options for directing the call, such as connecting to a specific extension or to a department
  • A directory of employee extensions accessible by inputting digits corresponding to employee first or last names
  • Evenly distributed calls to a department among available employees through Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) queues
  • The ability to place callers on hold when they are waiting for an available department employee
  • Music or custom messages whenever callers are waiting on hold
  • Voice messages for any employee extension, department, or for the company in general
  • Transfer of calls between extensions
  • Conferencing multiple incoming calls with employee extensions
  • Detailed records of incoming and outgoing calls

Not all equipment vendors offer these features and furthermore, not every customer will need them. Possibly the most valuable feature to include for many businesses, however, are Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) queues. Consequently, this is also one of the most challenging functions for physical switches to provide. ACD queues are typically unavailable or cost prohibitive from a standard PBX provider.

Standard PBX Strengths

Physical PBX phone systems are mature technologies that offer many benefits for the right type of application. Businesses that can reliably predict their needs can usually find a fixed, cost-effective system. To be more precise, this option works only for businesses who will not need to scale-up or scale-down the functionality of their system.

Standard PBX Weaknesses

Standard PBX Costs

Costs are problematic with standard PBX systems in two areas. First, it is very expensive to get an advanced system up and running. These costs typically run upwards of $2,000 per seat (user), including the cost of the equipment, installation, and wiring. At the lower end of the spectrum, the equipment offers limited features and usually limited scalability but both still lack most sophisticated features without special, and costly, configurations.

An additional, often overlooked expense goes towards ongoing maintenance and support. As PBX equipment continues to add functionality, highly trained support staff become mandatory to maintain the hardware and software, roll out system upgrades, and manage system use. Ongoing support and maintenance costs typically run at about 1% of the cost of the equipment each month. For example, a $20,000 PBX switch, which would provide service to 10 to 40 employees, depending on system features, would typically cost an additional $200 per month for maintenance.

Standard PBX Scalability

PBX hardware is limited in its ability to add internal and external lines and to support more users or features. Low-end systems are especially difficult in this regard. This often forces small businesses to overbuy in order to have enough capacity for the business they hope to grow into. There are also many features which cannot be added to an existing system. This forces businesses to pay for new systems in order to get relatively uncomplicated feature upgrades.

Standard PBX Adaptability

Original PBX equipment architects, designed system functionality for employees in a centrally located office. Today’s mobile environment is incompatible with this model. Basic PBX architecture is challenged to send calls out of its home network to a different phone.

For more information on the overall comparison between hosted and on-site PBX systems, visit the PBX Cost Comparisons Table.

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6 Key Advantages to Using Managed Services

Organizations across every industry are discovering how today’s technologies help them achieve their objectives. For example, retailers use beacons to personalize marketing messages to individual customers based on where they are inside a store. Hospitals use technology to track patients and understand their experiences, helping to reduce readmission rates. Airlines use apps to streamline check-in, and sports teams use them to boost stadium attendance.

While new technologies present powerful opportunities for enterprises, they also introduce challenges. The pace of change in IT is unprecedented. No longer can IT departments standardize on one or two computer models, a single operating system, and a short list of approved applications. The mobile devices and cloud-based technologies that have brought so much possibility have also introduced a hodgepodge of devices, platforms and apps for IT departments to manage and secure.

For many organizations, those challenges add up to significant expenses: the cost of hiring and training qualified workers, purchasing the infrastructure to support emerging technologies, and keeping systems up to date and secure. Rather than struggle to keep pace with technology, many organizations turn to managed services providers for help. By trusting a third party such as CDW to handle cloud deployments, data center solutions, mobile initiatives, collaboration tools and security, organizations can focus their time and resources on their core business objectives.

Managed service providers take a holistic approach to IT services, resulting in a higher standard than many organizations are able to achieve in-house. Top service providers also offer ongoing management and maintenance of the underlying infrastructure, along with end-user support and service guarantees.

The benefits are clear: In 2014, only 30 percent of organizations used managed services, but within a year, that figure had nearly doubled. Managed services can cut IT costs by as much as 40 percent while doubling operational efficiency.

Turning to a trusted partner offers several advantages, including:

1. Freeing up IT staff

Most IT departments are stretched thin. By outsourcing back-end functions or complex, rapidly changing technologies, organizations dedicate their in-house technology experts to projects that will further their core objectives and promote innovation.

2. Keeping pace with the demands for IT expertise

Organizations around the world are struggling to fill IT positions, particularly in cybersecurity and mobile app development. Outsourcing these functions to a partner with technically skilled and specialized engineers in new and emerging technologies alleviates these pressures.

3. Greater scalability

IT shops spend months — even years — deploying massive systems. Many organizations are finding it more effective to start small, move fast and expand as needed. CDW’s modular approach to managed services makes it easy for enterprises to scale up or down depending on demand, such as a retailer increasing capacity around the holidays, or a startup experiencing sudden growth.

4. 24/7 availability

The 9-to-5 workday is as outdated today as the phone booth. When users work around the clock, so must the network. With a managed services provider, help is always available — days, nights, weekends or holidays — to support users.

5. Shifting the burden of compliance

In addition to regular audits, many organizations are obligated to meet standards and requirements with their IT initiatives. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and Sarbanes–Oxley Act spell out rules regarding privacy, reporting and security in the healthcare, education, financial services and retail industries. CDW understands the regulations that organizations are bound by, and can provide the systems, processes and reports to guarantee that organizations meet their requirements — without placing that burden on in-house staff.

6. Predictable monthly costs

Every IT investment comes with peripheral costs. Organizations need adequate networks, storage, and security. They must train staff, deploy systems and manage equipment. Unexpected costs arise at any time. By outsourcing initiatives to a managed service provider, organizations can break down their costs into fixed monthly payments, as opposed to the large capital expenditures that come with managing systems in-house.

Download the white paper, “Managed Services: Helping Organizations Focus on Business,” to learn more about managed services for cloud environments, data centers, collaboration and security.

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How to Design a Website

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The first thing that springs to mind when you think of quality web design is a professional agency, right? And while top companies largely do a great job, they can be eye-wateringly expensive.

Luckily, there is another way: website builders and ecommerce platforms. These are DIY online tools that allow you to create and design your own website – without needing to know a single line of code!

Naturally, there are tons of options out there – of varying quality – but we’ve put in the legwork and researched the best on the market. Through a combination of expert research and thorough testing, we can now reveal the best options for designing your very own site.

Below, we’ll run through the top three options for both regular websites and online stores. First, though, let’s address the elephant in the room: WordPress.

What about WordPress?

WordPress.org is a self-hosted, open-source CMS (content management system) – but all you really need to know is that it’s the most popular platform for designing a website.

WordPress gives you total control over the look and feel of your website, and is technically free to use. We say this because, in order to get your website live, you’ll actually need to pay for web hosting, security, a domain name, and any additional plugins or themes you need.

The biggest issue with WordPress, though, is that it’s not really suitable for the average Joe. Unless you’re comfortable with code – or have the budget to hire a professional developer – WordPress will prove near-impossible to use.

For this reason, we’d recommend that people who are building their own site stick to website builders and ecommerce platforms.

Designing Websites: Website Builders

Unless you’re looking to sell online, website builders are the most effective way for non-tech whizzes to create their own website. If an online store is what you’re after, skip to our ecommerce platforms section. 

From our expert research, we’ve been able to establish the 10 best website builders available to you today. All cater to different needs, but for a general overview, take a look at our quality scale below:

Wix

Wix ProsWix Cons
Highly intuitive and easy-to-use editorCan’t switch templates after your website goes live
Great value for moneyMay have to spend more on third party apps to scale your website
Strong help and support featuresThe sheer choice and amount of customizable options can be overwhelming
The builder our users were most likely to recommend

Wix is generally regarded as the best website builder on the market. Its easy to use drag-and-drop editor gives you total creative control, allowing you to add in all your content and position it wherever you see fit.

There’s also a choice of 510 professionally designed templates, a bunch of amazing features which come built-in, and a huge app store where you can install any extras you may need.

From thoroughly testing the platform ourselves, we can confirm Wix lives up to the hype. Have a look at our final research scores and see for yourself:

wix logo

4.7out of 5

Top Choice

Ease of Use

4.5 out of 5 stars

Features

4.5 out of 5 stars

Design Flexibility

4 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

5 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

4.5 out of 5 stars

Customer Score

5 out of 5 stars

We also arranged for regular people, just like you, to sit down with Wix and attempt to design their own website. These volunteers were blown away by just how quick and easy Wix was to use, as well as the sheer choice of features on display. Here’s what they had to say:

“I was genuinely surprised that it was that quick [to design a website]. I didn’t think that it would all get done in an hour.”

“I like the side menu where you can add images and apps etc. because it was simple and easy to navigate.”

logo-wix-100x100

Wix is the best website builder on the market. Sign-up to its free plan and see what you make of it.

Try Wix For Free

Wix Review– Read more about Wix in our in-depth review.

Wix Pricing – An overview of Wix’s pricing plans.

How to use Wix – A step-by-step guide for beginners.

Wix Editor vs Wix ADI – Learn about the different ways you can create a Wix website.

Squarespace

Squarespace ProsSquarespace Cons
Best quality templates in terms of design and flexibilityLimited number of price plans
Best quality features of any builder on the marketNot totally beginner friendly
Full customization control without the need for coding

Squarespace is a website builder that oozes class, and comes with a glossy, premium feel.

Squarespace prides itself on its templates. Their cutting-edge designs make them perfect for anyone in a creative field, such as photographers, artists, or graphic designers.

Squarespace also comes with an array of quality features. Here you can see how it scored in our research for all the major categories:

squarespace logo

4.3out of 5

Ease of Use

3.5 out of 5 stars

Features

4 out of 5 stars

Design Flexibility

5 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

4 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

3 out of 5 stars

Customer Score

4.5 out of 5 stars

Squarespace proved a real hit with our users, too. Here’s just a couple of their thoughts:

“My website looks really clean and fresh. I think a lot of that is down to how well the template I chose is designed.”

“It’s a huge challenge to create a site by yourself unless you’re a designer, so the fact that the templates have industry-specific features is a huge benefit. I’d say that’s one of the most important factors [when designing a website].”

squarespace-logo

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial. Discover why creatives love it so much.

Try Squarespace For Free

Weebly

Weebly ProsWeebly Cons
Best for small businesses, with all the basic tools you need to build a great business siteDrag-and-drop customization is limited – unless you’re confident with code
Cool customizable templatesNo personal restore option, so if your site goes down, you’re totally reliant on the Weebly support team
Really helpful SEO guides in Weebly’s help and support centerNo ADI option (short for Artificial Design Intelligence, this is where a website builder uses information you provide to automatically create a site for you)

Weebly is marketed as a website builder for all, but really, it specializes in small business websites. It has a great range of templates to choose from, and a drag-and-drop editor that’s pretty easy to get to grips with.

Weebly really comes into its own when you start looking at its features – there’s hundreds to choose from, and most of them are brilliant! For a closer look at where Weebly’s strengths lie, take a look at our scores:

weebly_logotype

4.1out of 5

Ease of Use

3.5 out of 5 stars

Features

4.5 out of 5 stars

Design Flexibility

4 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

3.5 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

4.5 out of 5 stars

Customer Score

5 out of 5 stars

Our users who tested Weebly really liked how it helped them structure their site, and how it showed them that anyone really can build their own website:

“I think Weebly’s templates are a good way of introducing you to the structure and presentation of a website.”

“Overall, it was really easy to use, and kind of debunks the myth that it’s really, really difficult [to build a website].”

comparacion de editores de paginas web weebly

Weebly’s free plan lets you ‘try before you by’. Take a look at what all the fuss is about.

Try Weebly For Free

Designing Websites: Ecommerce Platforms

Ecommerce platforms work in a very similar way to website builders, but they’re specifically designed to help you set up an online store. Some are purpose-built just for ecommerce, while others (like Wix) are website builders that have ecommerce functionalities.

Shopify

Shopify ProsShopify Cons
Sell across multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Amazon and eBayYou have to create your storefront between the editor and dashboard, meaning you’ll have to flick between the two
Brilliant inventory system which helps you manage your storeOnly platform to enforce its own transaction fee with Shopify Payments
Came first in our research for sales features and customer scoreContent doesn’t automatically reformat if you switch to a different theme

Shopify stands head and shoulders above its peers as the best ecommerce platform. It has a range of themes which are all designed with your products in mind, and more sales features than you can shake a stick at.

Where Shopify really excels, though, is away from your website. The platform allows you to broaden your online store’s reach by tapping into different channels, and by selling across various marketplaces and social media networks.

Here you can see how Shopify performed in our ecommerce platform testing:

shopify logo small website builder

4.7out of 5

Top Choice

Ease of Use

4 out of 5 stars

Design Flexibility

4 out of 5 stars

Sales Features

5 out of 5 stars

Website Features

4.5 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

4.5 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

3.5 out of 5 stars

Customer Score

5 out of 5 stars

Shopify is slightly different to website builders in that you predominantly work from a dashboard, rather than an editor.

Because there is so much more to consider with online stores – like marketing, inventory, and shipping – it makes sense that you have a hub to manage everything from, including your website’s design.

shopify logo small website builder

Shopify’s 14-day free trial lets you get a real feel for the platform before deciding whether to invest

Try Shopify For Free

Wix eCommerce

Wix eCommerce ProsWix eCommerce Cons
Eye-catching designs – add product videos to give customers a better shopping experienceNo social media integration – doesn’t let you sell across multiple channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest
Advanced ecommerce tools, including abandoned cart recovery to catch customers who have left items at the checkoutToo much creative freedom, which can get in the way of ecommerce design best practices
Multilingual sites – grow your business globally by creating multiple sites for different countries

“But haven’t you already covered Wix?” Well, yes – but building an online store with Wix is a whole other ball game!

Although Wix can’t rival Shopify when building a ‘pure’ online store, it’s perfect for people who just want to have a store section on their website.

Anyone who sells products on the side could benefit from Wix. If you’re in a band, for example, the main purpose of your site will pro
bably be to provide fans with tour information and take bookings for gigs.

However, you may also want to sell merchandise, such as tour tops, albums, and branded instruments. Wix makes it easy to either build an online store from the off, or add in a store section further down the line.

Here are Wix’s ecommerce-specific scores from our research:

wix logo

4.3out of 5

Ease of Use

4 out of 5 stars

Design Flexibility

4.5 out of 5 stars

Sales Features

3 out of 5 stars

Website Features

4 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

5 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

4.5 out of 5 stars

Customer Score

4.5 out of 5 stars

Squarespace and Weebly also offer online store pricing plans, so if you just want the option to sell online, it’s worth having a look around.

comparacion de editores de paginas web wix

Use Wix’s platform free of charge and see whether it’s worth upgrading to the online store plans.

Try Wix For Free

Wix eCommerce Review– Discover why Wix is the best website builder for ecommerce.

Wix vs Shopify – Learn more about the difference between the two platforms.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce ProsBigCommerce Cons
Most scalable ecommerce platformHard for ecommerce beginners to get to grips with
More built-in features than any competitorNo mobile app to run your store on the go
Lets you sell across multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest
Fantastic SEO tools

Between Shopify and Wix, BigCommerce is far more similar to the former. It’s designed solely for selling online, and is widely regarded as one of the best platforms to create an online store with.

One thing BigCommerce has over Shopify is the amount of built-in features it has. With Shopify, you may end up spending far more than just the standard monthly fee to install a whole bunch of apps – many of which are free to use with BigCommerce.

On the flip-side, BigCommerce is undoubtedly harder to use than Shopify. Some of the terms it uses are quite technical, and the actual design of your site can get quite complex – meaning it’s not exactly a beginner-friendly platform.

Still, BigCommerce more than held its own through our research testing:

bigcommerce logo

4.2out of 5

Ease of Use

3.5 out of 5 stars

Design Flexibility

3.5 out of 5 stars

Sales Features

4.5 out of 5 stars

Website Features

4.5 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

3.5 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

4 out of 5 stars

Customer Score

3.5 out of 5 stars

We’d see BigCommerce as a platform for those who are both more technically skilled and budget-conscious. It’s really designed for SMEs, so anyone just looking to sell a few products a month will be better off with a website builder that has ecommerce functionality.

Just a heads up, BigCommerce is currently offering up to three months free when you sign up for a new plan! Go to the BigCommerce website to see this offer live.

bigcommerce logo

BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial for you to find your feet.

Try BigCommerce For Free

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Top 10 Most Common Computer Problems

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Kushal Tomar. Filed under Computer, Hardware, Tutorials

Computer-Icon

Computer-Icon

Although most complex computer issues at work can often be solved by the business IT support team, there are many other small, but common, issues that occur on a regular basis on a personal computer. The good news is that many problems with computers have simple solutions, and learning to recognise a problem and fix it yourself will save you a lot of time and money. The following are the top 10 common computer problems that you shouldn’t panic over.

1. The Computer Won’t Start

A computer that suddenly shuts off or has difficulty starting up could have a failing power supply. Check that the computer is plugged into the power point properly and, if that doesn’t work, test the power point with another working device to confirm whether or not there is adequate power.

2. The Screen is Blank

If the computer is on but the screen is blank, there may be an issue with the connection between the computer and the screen. First, check to see if the monitor is plugged into a power point and that the connection between the monitor and computer hard drive is secure. If the problem is on a laptop, then you may need to get a professional to fix it as some of the internal wires may be worn.

3. Abnormally Functioning Operating System or Software

If the operating system or other software is either unresponsive or is acting up, then try restarting your computer and run a virus scan. To avoid having this happen, install reliable anti-virus software.

4. Windows Won’t Boot

If you are having troubles booting Windows, then you may have to reinstall it with the Windows recovery disk.

5. The Screen is Frozen

When you computer freezes, you may have no other option than to reboot and risk losing any unsaved work. Freezes can be a sign of insufficient ram, registry conflicts, corrupt or missing files, or spyware. Press and hold the power button until the computer turns off, then restart it and get to work cleaning up the system so that it doesn’t freeze again.

What's New: Discover the Latest Updates and Features

If your computer is slower than normal, you can often fix the problem simply by cleaning the hard disk of unwanted files. You can also install a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware tools, and schedule regular registry scans. External hard drives are great storage solutions for overtaxed CPU’s, and will help your computer run faster.

7. Strange Noises

A lot of noise coming from your computer is generally a sign of either hardware malfunction or a noisy fan. Hard drives often make noise just before they fail, so you may want to back up information just in case, and fans are very easy to replace.

8. Slow Internet

To improve your Internet browser performance, you need to clear cookies and Internet temporary files frequently. In the Windows search bar, type ‘%temp%’ and hit enter to open the temporary files folder.

9. Overheating

If a computer case lacks a sufficient cooling system, then the computer’s components may start to generate excess heat during operation. To avoid your computer burning itself out, turn it off and let it rest if it’s getting hot. Additionally, you can check the fan to make sure it’s working properly.

10. Dropped Internet Connections

Dropped Internet connections can be very frustrating. Often the problem is simple and may be caused by a bad cable or phone line, which is easy to fix. More serious problems include viruses, a bad network card or modem, or a problem with the driver.

Tech Tip: Tired of your old bulky computer? Switch to next-gen virtual PC such as citrix xendesktop with an affordable xendesktop cost from CloudDesktopOnline with features such as remote access to windows applications and data from anywhere on any device (PC/Mac/Linux/android/iOS). You can also access complete MS Office suite on the same xendesktop by visiting O365CloudExperts.com powered with 24*7*365 days impeccable technical support from Apps4Rent.com.

Source

The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing

DIGITALMARKETER PRESENTS

The perfect resource for beginner-to-advanced digital marketers looking to learn new skills or hone existing ones.

The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing is full of insights and strategy for business owners, marketing professionals, students, and anyone else looking to hone their current skills and get up to speed on the latest in digital marketing.

Read it now to build or refine your digital marketing plan without the false starts and missteps that come with doing it alone.

When you get down to it, digital marketing is simply marketing.

It’s how today’s businesses are getting their message in front of their best prospects and customers.

Rule #1 in marketing is to make the right offer at the right time and in the right place. Today, your customers are online: hanging out in social media, staying updated on news sites and blogs, and searching online when they have a need.

Digital marketing puts you in those same channels, so your best prospects can see you, learn more about you, and even ask questions to learn more about you and your products or services.

If you’re new to digital marketing, it may feel overwhelming to think about mastering all the online marketing tactics used in digital marketing.

We get that…

And yes, there are different tactics you’ll need to learn. But they all work together to create a foundation for your business: attracting prospects, nurturing relationships, and making offers your audience will appreciate and respond to.

Let’s take a closer look at how that happens.

In many ways, digital marketing is no different than traditional marketing. In both, smart organizations seek to develop mutually beneficial relationships with prospects, leads, and customers.

But digital marketing has replaced most traditional marketing tactics because it’s designed to reach today’s consumers.

As an example…

Think about the last important purchase you made. Perhaps you purchased a home, hired someone to fix your roof, or changed paper suppliers at your office.

Regardless of what it was, you probably began by searching the Internet to learn more about available solutions, who provided them, and what your best options were. Your ultimate buying decision was then based on the reviews you read, the friends and family you consulted, and the solutions, features, and pricing you researched.

Most purchasing decisions begin online.

That being the case, an online presence is absolutely necessary—regardless of what you sell.

The key is to develop a digital marketing strategy that puts you in all the places your followers are already hanging out, then using a variety of digital channels to connect with them in a multitude of ways…

…Content to keep them updated with industry news, the problems they’re facing, and how you solve those problems…

…Social media to share that content and then engage with them as friends and followers…

…Search engine optimization (SEO) to optimize your content, so it will show up when someone is searching for the information you’ve written about…

…Advertising to drive paid traffic to your website, where people can see your offers…

…And email marketing to follow up with your audience to be sure they continue to get the solutions they’re looking for.

When you put all these pieces together, you’ll end up with an efficient, easy-to-operate digital marketing machine. And while it looks intimidating to build that machine from scratch, it’s as simple as learning and integrating one digital marketing tactic at a time.

Which is why we’ve put together this guide: To help you build or refine your own digital marketing plan without the false starts and missteps that come with doing it alone.

Having a strong digital presence will help you in multiple ways:

Be aware, the digital marketing scene is ever changing. Gurus, podcasts, and bloggers declare a tool or tactic hot one week and dead the next.

The truth is, digital marketing is less about “digital” and more about “marketing,” largely because digital marketing has come of age. Its fundamentals have already been established.

At DigitalMarketer, our objective is to clear the confusion about the tactics that work and how to use them to grow your business. We stand firmly against the so-called “gurus” who promote the next “shiny object” or “quick fix” that will reportedly kill email marketing, digital advertising, or search engine optimization.

Here, we’re all about the fundamentals.

As you’ll see in this guide, these 8 core disciplines of digital marketing will be critical to your business growth today, tomorrow, and for years to come. Each of these disciplines will be covered in depth in a chapter of this Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing as shown below.

Digital marketing isn’t magic, and you don’t need to be a computer whiz to be good at it. If you offer a product or service that the market desires, you can successfully market them in digital channels using the strategies taught in this guide.

The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing doesn’t present hype about the latest flashy tactics in marketing—digital or otherwise. Instead, this resource covers foundational disciplines such as content marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing, always in the context of the goals that businesses care about.

These goals include acquiring new leads and customers, monetizing the leads and customers you already have, and creating communities of brand advocates and promoters.

In each chapter, we’ll cover 4 key aspects to the strategy being discussed:

Digital Marketing Methods

The Methods: the strategies and processes you’ll use to create your plan and execute it in your own business. This is the bulk of each chapter—because in digital marketing, how you execute a strategy is key. And in this Guide, we share the exact methods we use here at DigitalMarketer.

The Metrics: the numbers you’ll watch to measure your success and identify areas that need tweaking (or are worth doubling down on).

Digital Marketing Lingo

The Lingo: the terminology used by experts, so you can communicate intelligently (even if you don’t consider yourself a pro).

The Roles: the people in your organization who will likely have responsibility for planning and running each digital marketing tactic.

We’ve organized this Guide in a logical progression. Though you can jump around, learning the tactics in whatever order you feel you need them, we recommend you read through the chapters in order.

Take your time. Read and study one chapter at a time. Apply what you learn. And when you feel you’ve got the methods up and running, move on to the next chapter.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can implement t
hese digital marketing tactics if you focus on them one at a time. Then, when everything is up and running, you can focus on optimizing and improving your processes for maximum growth.

Ready to start?

Source

How to Develop Software

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    Here’s What to Do When Your Computer Doesn’t Turn On

    It’s a really awful way to start a day: you press the power button on your computer and nothing happens.

    There are many reasons why a computer won’t turn on and often very few clues about what might be the problem. The only symptom is usually the simple fact that “nothing works,” which isn’t much to go on.

    An illustration of a computer that won't turn on. Grace Kim ©Lifewire 2018

    Here’s what you need to do:

    1. Read Step 1 below! Trust us, it’ll make you feel better.
    2. Pick the best troubleshooting guide from Steps 2 through 9 based on how your computer is acting or choose Step 10 if your computer stops at any point because of an error message.

    The troubleshooting guides below apply to all PC devices. In other words, they’ll help if your desktop or laptop won’t turn on, or even if your tablet won’t turn on. We’ll call out any important differences along the way.

    These techniques are applicable no matter what Windows operating system is installed, including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. The first five steps even apply to other PC operating systems like Linux.

    1. Your files are probably OK. Most people tend to panic when faced with a computer that won’t start, worried that all their precious data is gone forever.

      It’s true that the most common reason a computer won’t start is because a piece of hardware has failed or is causing a problem, but that hardware isn’t usually a hard drive, the part of your computer that stores all of your files.

      In other words, your music, documents, emails, and videos are probably safe—they’re just not accessible at the moment.

      If you don’t want to fix this yourself, see How Do I Get My Computer Fixed? for a full list of your support options, plus help with everything along the way like figuring out repair costs, getting your files off, choosing a repair service, and a whole lot more.

    2. Computer shows no sign of power. Try these steps if your computer will not turn on and is showing no sign at all of receiving power—no fans running and no lights on the laptop or tablet, nor on the front of the computer’s case if you’re using a desktop.

      Here’s What to Do When Your Computer Has No Power

      Don’t worry about the monitor yet, assuming you’re using a desktop or an external display. If the computer won’t on because of a power supply problem, the monitor certainly can’t display anything from the computer. Your monitor light will likely be amber/yellow if your computer has stopped sending information to it.

    3. Here’s What to Do When Your Computer Shuts Off During Startup

      You’ll probably hear the fans inside your computer turn on, see some or all of the lights on your computer turn on or flash, and then it will all stop.

      You won’t see anything on the screen and you may or may not hear beeps coming from the computer before it shuts off by itself.

      Like in the previous scenario, don’t worry about the state your external monitor is in, if you have one. You may have a monitor problem as well but it’s not possible to troubleshoot it quite yet.

    4. Computer powers on but nothing happens. If your computer seems to be receiving power after turning it on but you don’t see anything on the screen, try these troubleshooting steps.

      Here’s What to Do When Your Computer Starts but Nothing Happens

      In these situations, the power lights will stay on, you’ll likely hear the fans inside your computer running (assuming it has any), and you may or may not hear one or more beeps coming from the computer.

      This situation is probably the most common in our experience working with computers that won’t start. Unfortunately it’s also one of the most difficult to troubleshoot.

    5. Here’s What to Do When Your PC Freezes During POST

      The POST on your computer might occur in the background, behind your computer maker’s logo (as shown here with the Dell laptop), or you may actually see frozen test results or other messages on the screen.

      Don’t use this troubleshooting guide if you encounter a problem during the loading of the operating system, which occurs after the Power On Self Test is complete. Troubleshooting Windows-related reasons why your computer won’t turn on begin with the next step below.

    6. Windows begins to load but stops or reboots on a BSOD. If your computer begins to load Windows but then stops and displays a blue screen with information on it, then try these steps. You may or may not see the Windows splash screen before the blue screen appears.

      How to Fix a Blue Screen of Death

      This kind of error is called a STOP error but is more commonly referred to as a Blue Screen of Death, or a BSOD. Receiving a BSOD error is a common reason why a computer won’t turn on.

      Choose this troubleshooting guide even if the BSOD flashes on screen and your computer restarts automatically without giving you time to read what it says.

    7. Here’s What to Do When Your Computer Freezes During Windows Startup

      The stopping, freezing, or reboot loop may happen on the Windows splash screen (shown here) or even on a black screen, with or without a flashing cursor.

      If you suspect that the Power On Self Test is still going on and that Windows has not yet started to boot, a better troubleshooting guide for why your computer won’t turn on might be the one from above called Computer Stops or Continuously Reboots During the POST. It’s a fine line and sometimes hard to tell.

      If your computer won’t start and you see a blue screen flash or remain on the screen, you’re experiencing a Blue Screen of Death and should use the troubleshooting guide above.

    8. Screenshot of the Startup Settings menu in Windows 8

      Solutions for a Computer That Won’t Go Past the Startup Options

      In this situation, no matter which Safe Mode option you choose, your computer eventually stops, freezes, or restarts on its own, after which you find yourself right back at the Startup Settings or Advanced Boot Options menu.

      This is a particularly annoying way in which your computer won’t turn on because you’re trying to use Windows’ built-in ways to solve your problem but you’re getting nowhere with them.

    9. What to Do When Windows Freezes During or After Login

      The stopping, freezing, or reboot loop may happen on the Windows login screen, as Windows is logging you in (as shown here), or any time up to Windows fully loading.

    10. hal.dll Error Message

    Here’s What to Do When Your Computer Stops With an Error Message

    Error messages are possible at any stage during your computer’s boot process, including during the POST, at any time during the loading of Windows, all the way up to the Windows desktop appearing.

    The only exception to using this troubleshooting guide for an error message is if the error is a Blue Screen of Death. See the Windows Begins to Load but Stops or Reboots on a BSOD step above for a better troubleshooting guide for BSOD issues.

    Source

    Managed Services vs. Traditional IT Support Whats the Difference

    As an IT leader, you may be asking yourself if your IT support services are keeping pace with the demand of your ever-evolving applications landscape. It’s an important question to contemplate and quite honestly should be a part of your regular planning cadence. More and more businesses are shifting their focus to Cloud, Cognitive and AI. They want to cut capital expenditures associated with server farms, have someone else manage updates and improve their disaster recovery capabilities. In addition, cognitive service management and AI provide improved productivity, lower costs, and better accuracy. Ensuring you have the right resources, who are properly trained to provide the right end-user assistance, impacts more than just downtime; it impacts the bottom line, your scalability, and ability to implement new technologies.

    Gartner1defines IT services as “…the application of business and technical expertise to enable organizations in the creation, management and optimization of, or access to, information and business processes.” They also break IT services into segments based on the skills required to deliver the service (e.g., design, build, run, etc.) and the categories of service (i.e., business process services, application services and infrastructure services). So, let’s look at both traditional IT support services and managed services, break down the key differences, and help guide you in your decision-making process of which best fits your company’s circumstances.

    Traditional IT Support

    When we talk about traditional IT support and managed services (MS), it’s important to understand the basic differences. Let’s start with traditional IT support. This type of support is most commonly known as “break-fix” support and is usually depicted that way due to the reactive nature of the process. Something isn’t working right so the user notifies the help desk and waits for the problem to be fixed. This could mean waiting until the IT support group is back in the office if they offer services only during standard business hours.

    Traditional IT support can be offered in-house or be outsourced. The in-house model is often used by smaller businesses who don’t want or need to invest in an outsourced model, but in-house support can also be found in medium to larger businesses. These businesses usually aren’t technical in nature and don’t rely heavily on their IT infrastructure to be fully available 24×7.

    Traditional IT support solves many problems. If your business is not growing in complexity, a traditional IT support model may be a good choice. It may also be a good choice if you have a complex, customized application base that is not subject to frequent upgrades; or if your applications don’t require specialized skillsets and regular training to maintain.

    Managed Services

    Managed Services are services provided by a third party to perform the care and feeding of all or some of your applications. One of the main differences between an MS and a traditional IT support is that an MS is considered “always on”. Coverage options are available to suit any business needs from regular business hours to 24×7. It is also a scalable model which allows customers to include additional solutions based on business needs. But rather than waiting for something to break and responding, the MS team is always working in the background to predict a possible disruption and take proactive actions to remediate it.

    In an MS model, you usually leverage a highly technical enabled pool of experts specific to the supported applications. That means you always have the most current skill sets available to you and your business, so you’re not paying for resources that aren’t needed. This is a particularly valuable benefit because it reduces training and upskilling costs associated with an in-house, traditional IT support model. It also allows the customer to re-deploy internal resources to more strategic projects rather than spend their time chasing application issues.

    Another key benefit to an MS is the fact that the service is governed by contractual service level agreements (SLAs) covering both responsiveness and issue resolution. You can be assured of the continuity of your application availability, customizations, integrations, and choose different levels of response time based on the severity of the issues. A MS also provides a governance process to achieve regularly scheduled timeframes for reporting on the performance of your applications and KPI’s of the team supporting them. This data is invaluable in identifying operational pain points you may want to address in your future planning process.

    Pricing Models

    The models of IT support and managed service described above have different price points. Here’s a brief summary of what comprises the pricing models for each:

    Outsourced traditional IT support: If a traditional IT support model is outsourced, the business can either purchase a block of usable hours or pay an annual subscription fee for that service. This is usually sold as all-or-nothing. In other words, regardless of whether you are using all aspects of the service, you are still paying for them.

    In-house traditional IT support: This usually means carrying the fully burdened cost of salary, benefits, and training for full-time employees. According to the most recent data published by the US Department of Labor2, the median base salary for a Computer Support Specialist runs around $50,980 a year and fully burdened can run up to $65,000 – $70,000 per employee.

    Managed Service support is usually offered with a fixed fee model. That keeps the price static over a defined period allowing for predictable budgeting and cost management. For example, a typical MS engagement for ITSM over a 3-year period for a medium-sized company can cost up to approximately 40% less than a traditional in-house IT support unit. Parameters of the service are defined up-front based on ticket volumes, service coverage hours, and activities required to be performed. Another contributing factor for cost efficiency of an application MS is it will be provided globally via a remote delivery model.

    Deciding Which Option is Right for Your Business

    When considering what type of support model is right for your organization, it’s always best to look at the pro’s and cons as well as understanding the key pain points before deciding. This chart helps simplify the comparison between traditional in-house IT support, outsourced traditional IT support, and an MS on some of the key components that should be clarified as you contemplate whether an MS is right for your company:

    Diagram Source: BMC Software

    It’s also important to identify your key pain points as they relate to your IT services and how to solve them. Some of the key aspects that need to be considered are:

    • Application Vulnerabilities – Many of the organizations are unable to keep up with the security patches required for their applications, a MS proactively ensures that the application is secured from vulnerabilities.
    • Underutilized Applications – This usually means there is either poor performance or lack of education on the part of the user, tying into the category of service availability to meet the business need in the chart above.
    • Poor Adoption of New Applications – Poor adoption is usually the result of either inadequate training or organizational change con
      trol. Both can be solved by a MS provider whose core competency is to implement a comprehensive service and support model from application launch through run.
    • Performance Gaps – Performance gaps can be caused by many factors including inadequate monitoring to detect issues as well as patches and upgrades not being performed in a timely manner. Having a MS in place to ensure these activities are performed properly and timely can greatly reduce this pain point.
    • Productivity Loss due to Down Time – As with performance gaps, ensuring proper monitoring is in place and the applications are kept up to date greatly reduces the possibility of downtime.
    • Inability to Keep Key Resources Trained – This is a key deciding factor for many businesses to move to a MS model as the training cost and effort belong to the MS, not the business.

    If your business is experiencing any of the above symptoms and pain points, then it’s definitely time to reevaluate your current landscape and worth reviewing which option is best for your business.

    With the information I have provided, my hope is that you be able to understand that there really is a difference between managed services and traditional IT support. It’s important to understand the differences to determine which support model will enable growth in your business and facilitate a smooth transition to modern technologies like Cloud, AI and Cognitive. There is certainly a place for traditional IT support for smaller business that are stable and don’t have complex IT environments. However, if you are looking to minimize risk and get out of “break-fix” mode, bringing a MS onboard is a smart choice to ensure an “always-on” service to position your business for future growth. By reviewing your pain points and understanding what each support model brings to the table, you can make the best decision for your business.

    If a managed service model sounds like it might be a fit for your BMC applications, please fill out our form to speak to an expert and get started.

    1 “IT Services.” Gartner IT Glossary, 22 Nov. 2012, www.gartner.com/it-glossary/it-services.

    2 “15-1151 Computer User Support Specialists.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29 Mar. 2019, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151151.htm.

    These postings are my own and do not necessarily represent BMC’s position, strategies, or opinion.

    See an error or have a suggestion? Please let us know by emailing [email protected].

    Source

    11 Website Design And Development Best Practices For 2018

    Aim higher to delight customers with amazing website performance.

    thinkwithgoogle.com

    ForbesWebfia • LinkedIn

    In today’s global marketplace, it’s not enough to just have a digital presence. To capitalize on opportunity and captivate real, live, human readers, an optimized, functional, interactive website is a must. Unfortunately, the Internet is swarming with poor website designs that miss both the technical and content mark. Worse yet, clients and developers alike continuously contribute to the current outbreak of design delinquency in equal measure.

    It’s time to end bad websites, once and for all. Let’s take a look at how clients and developers perpetrate this trend of low-quality websites and pinpoint new design and development standards in 2018 that will help end this vicious cycle of “all-surface-no-substance” sites.

    Clients

    A client’s unrealistic expectations can doom a website to fail before the design process even begins.

    Unfortunately, many clients have limited knowledge of what a website should be, and more importantly, what a functional, intentional website can deliver. They underestimate the value of going beyond esthetics with their sites, assuming that build success relies solely on an appealing interface. Clients believe that, as long as their site “looks good,” it will float in cyberspace, effectively extending brand reach while magically attracting millions of interested users and converting them into customers.

    The truth is, that’s not how website magic works.

    To deliver digital results, a website must offer an engaging, dynamic user experience. Yes, graphics are critical to the design process. However, to optimize success, your site must provide more than compelling graphics. Your developer is or, at least should be working hard behind the scenes for you, creating a sophisticated infrastructure of both site and SEO functionality that must be developed and tested before going live. That is where the website magic truly begins.

    A client’s budget expectations can also play a major role in launching an inferior website. When it comes to promoting your brand, it’s important to remember that you ultimately get what you pay for. Effective, intuitive website design is complicated. But the return is well worth the investment. So, clients, invest already. And trust your developer’s insight, talent, and experience as you navigate through the process to a final design that doesn’t just look great, but also achieves all of your critical online marketing goals.

    Developers

    Of course, clients aren’t the only ones perpetuating bad websites. Developers themselves can also contribute to the slew of poorly-designed, ineffective sites plaguing the Internet. How? It often starts by treating must-have digital marketing features as “extras” when offering site packages to clients.

    Not cool, developers. Not cool.

    Developers, 2018 is the year you up your game and raise the bar on acceptable industry standards. No more static, one-dimensional tactics that render a site into a mere Powerpoint presentation (aka a static and boring data deluge). Going forward, refuse to work on a design that isn’t multidimensional and fully-functional. Every project you take on should have all necessary digital marketing functions to elevate both owner and user experience.

    Yes, some of your clients will express a bit of sticker shock. Stand firm. Rather than dilute design features, enlighten them on the many benefits offered by a highly-functioning website. If they insist on a cheap and crummy website? Don’t take on the project. It’s far better to refuse one client than to lose countless prospects who notice you have a knack for churning out poor product.

    2018 Website Feature Checklist

    Ready to put an actionable plan in place to redefine the new normal for 2018 sites? Here are nine non-negotiable standards (and two bonus tips) to implement on your site:

    1. Fast Loading — No one wants to wait (and wait and wait) for your site to load. Design sites with prompt loading times for all users on all devices (even the ones with slower Internet connections). You can use Pingdom or Pagespeed Insights by Google to check your website speed and see how you can improve.

    2. Mobile Ready — Virtually everyone uses smart devices on a daily basis. Create an engaging, mobile-friendly design that your audience can access whenever they want, wherever they roam.

    3. Tracking Enabled — Analytics matter – it’s the best way to determine that your website is actually doing its job. The final design should include functionality to gauge key indicators such as traffic, goals, and conversions.

    4. SEO Savvy — Don’t underestimate the power of optimizing your site for both browsers and humans. Develop compelling, readable content for your followers. For the search engines, always include all important on-page SEO tags and elements, including schema and XML sitemaps.

    5. Enabled CMS — We aren’t quite done with the power of the written word just yet. Consistently publishing fresh, original content not only captivates your audience, it can deliver invaluable, long-term digital marketing momentum. Include a back-end Content Management System in the design so clients can post and edit content as needed.

    6. Conversion Optimized — Have a conversion-centric client? Implement tools for creating campaign landing pages into your design. These designated pages can keep your readers moving through your site and direct them to schedule an appointment, request a product demonstration, and even make a purchase.

    7. Email Marketing — Yes, email marketing is still a thing – and a highly effective thing at that. A site’s email capture forms should sync with the client’s email marketing system for seamless access and connection.

    8. Social Media — Never miss an opportunity to leverage the power of social media. Integrate all relevant social media platforms within your design. Allowing users to quickly access social media pages from the website instantly broadens a brand’s reach and helps increase visibility and traffic.

    9. Strong Security — Never compromise on-site security. Every design should include fundamental security and privacy protocols, such as basic security checks, to protect client and user data.

    This concludes the non-negotiable portion of our 2018 website design guidelines. However, there are two bonus tips to consider when creating a site:

    10. Progressive Web Apps — Savvy web designers, intrigued by the impact apps have on mobile media platforms, have successfully blended the very best web and app features into a hybrid known as Progressive Web Apps. Expect to see Progressive Web Apps out in full force throughout 2018. As a developer, consider including various features into your design such as splash screens, push notifications, and animated page transitions to elevate overall UX.

    11. Machine Learning And Artificial Intelligence — Yes, really. Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic, high-tech term and has successfully worked its way into our everyday vernacular and online experience. Don’t believe me? Have you ever posed a question to Siri or Alexa? I rest my case. Adobe’s Sensei is delivering AI tools to various web design platforms worldwide, making it a more accessible, available resource.

    Is Your Brand’s Website Up To 2018 Standards?

    If not, it’s time for an immediate online renovation. Remember, it’s not about grand gestures and overhauls. Rather, 2018 will focus on a shift towards simple, functional, and futuristic designs. Implementing these (relatively painless) standards as a non-negotiable design baseline can have a significant impact on the way we do bus
    iness and connect with potential customers online for optimal ROI with every user engagement.

    ___

    Denis Pinsky is a Director of Digital Marketing and Analytics at Forbes. For the past 15 years, he’s been using industry-leading practices to assist companies implement masterful solutions in all aspects of internet marketing and e-commerce. With a team of industry veterans and an arsenal of the cutting-edge technologies, Denis founded Webfia Inc to provide scalable and sustainable solutions in the areas of eCommerce, Web Analytics, Web Visibility, Website Optimization, and SEO.

    Connect With Denis on FacebookLinkedIn, Twitter

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