Explore the latest trends, techniques, and tools in creating visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces.

Design

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Should My Online Store Use Responsive, Adaptive, or Mobile-First Web Design?

The way people browse the web today is rapidly changing, more and more people are using their phones exclusively as their computers, foregoing the traditional laptop or desktop computer. For these people and many other who browse the web on their mobile device, a traditional web site designed for the desktop will no longer make the cut. In fact, Google recently made an algorithm change in their mobile search results penalizing website that aren’t designed for mobile devices and promoting mobile ready sites. The trend from desktop to mobile computing shows no signs of slowing down, if anything, the trend of moving towards mobile is speeding up.

You can check the mobile readiness of your site by visiting 

. If your site fails the test you may be losing valuable visitors and potential clients from your site. 

 interpret the results of a test like this and determine what can be done to improve your scores.

Now is the time to update your site, make it mobile friendly, and win back those lost visitors. What is a phone ready website design called? There are two different types of mobile friendly (phone ready) design: 

With responsive design the web site is designed to expand and shrink depending on the size of the screen the user has the design itself is fluid. Adaptive design also called progressive enhancement is more like having two completely separate web sites, one that is designed for mobile screens and on for laptops or desktops. There is a debate among designers and developers over which method is better for building your site, and both methods have their positives and negatives. See below for the advantages an disadvantages along with 

With responsive design the layout of your page grows or shrinks based on the resolution of the screen the user has. Images will grow and shrink to fit the space and text and other elements will flow to fit as the space either grows or shrinks.

Responsive design is a powerful tool in the modern web designer‘s arsenal as it allows an optimized viewing experience for users no matter what device they are using to access your content. Responsive design works by using a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to determine the size of a user‘s screen and display the page accordingly. This means that images, text, and other elements will automatically resize based on the user‘s device, allowing your page to look great no matter what device it is being viewed on.

Furthermore, responsive design can be used to create custom layouts for different types of devices. For example, if you have an e–commerce website you can create a layout optimized for tablets and desktops that displays more content than the layout optimized for mobile devices. This way your users will have the best possible experience regardless of what device they are using. Additionally, responsive design can help improve SEO since search engines like Google take into account how mobile–friendly a website is when ranking sites in their search engine results pages (SERPs). By having a responsive website you can ensure that your site will be highly visible in both desktop and mobile SERPs.

Faster development times: You only need to develop one site that will fit multiple devices, this cuts down on development time.

Less maintenance: By their nature responsive sites are less complex than adaptive. If you need to make a change to the site, you only need to make one change. In adaptive you might need to make changes in more than one spot to make sure they design changes carries over to mobile.

Future proof: Okay, nothing is really future proof, but by their nature, the flexibility of responsive sites will fit more screen resolutions. Most adaptive sites are designed to fit a desktop device and a mobile device, many leave out tablets serving a tablet either a mobile version of the site or a desktop version. With responsive web design the site will look good in a tablet such as an iPad.

Responsive redesigns are more expensive than Adaptive because they require additional work. But once complete, Responsive requires less maintenance than an Adaptive site, producing a long term overall savings in web development fees.

When you choose to make your site Responsive, you will need to redesign your entire site and not just add a mobile template. This is usually a benefit, as your mobile and desktop sites will both match and look great, creating a consistent user experience.

Adaptive website design is like having two completely different web sites, one designed to fit on your phone the other designed to fit on your desktop. Using JavaScript and other elements different version of you site are served to the user depending on what type of device they are on.

Generally, it a great way to ensure your website looks good and works properly regardless of what device your viewer is using. Using JavaScript or other elements, the website will detect the size of the screen and deliver a tailored version of it that fits perfectly on that viewing platform. This way, you can ensure that users have a consistent experience across multiple devices, whether it be a small mobile phone or a large desktop monitor. Not only does this make for an enhanced user experience, but it also helps to improve SEO rankings because search engines can more easily index your website‘s content when it is optimized for various devices.

Adaptive design also helps to reduce development time since you don‘t need to create separate websites for different devices, just one that adapts itself automatically to fit any screen size. In addition, by using responsive images and adaptive media queries, you can ensure that all visual elements are correctly rendered on any device regardless of its size.

Since you are basically building a separate site from your desktop site images, logos, and other bandwidth and resource intensive processes can be left out of the mobile version of your site or better optimized for mobile, leaving you with a faster and leaner site. You only need to use the assets you think are most important to your user.

No need to redesign your current desktop site. If you are happy with your current desktop site, you can leave it as is and 

You can provide a link to the desktop version of the site to let the user choose what version of the site they will see.

The design can be specifically tailored to mobile devices. With responsive design, one design needs to work with all devices, with adaptive design you can design specifically for mobile phones.

Longer development times: You have to develop for both the desktop and mobile. In some cases, depending on the platform, they may have completely separate templates for the desktop and mobile, so in essence you are developing two different sites.

More maintenance: If you want to update the desktop site you may also need to make changes to mobile site as well. Adaptive sites are generally more complex than responsive sites.

Many adaptive designs are desktop or mobile only, leaving out the users on tablets, who usually will either see the mobile site or the desktop version.

Mobile first web design is a concept that website designers will think about and design for users on iPhones and other smart phones as their primary user base. This approach is unique because the first devices used to access the Internet were desktop and laptop computers. As smart phone usage became ubiquitous, starting as far back as the year 2014, 

 of this trend and began rethinking how they designed websites.

Mobile–first design is a unique concept that takes into account the increasing prevalence of smart phones for accessing the Internet. This approach looks at designing a website with mobile users in mind first and foremost, ensuring an enjoyable experience for them on any device. This includes creating an easy–to–navigate layout with larger buttons and links, making sure the content is readable on a small screen, and optimizing loading times. In some cases, web designers may even opt to focus exclusively on mobile users instead of creating one website for all devices.

Beyond providing better user experiences, mobile–first design can also help improve search engine rankings by optimizing content for both desktop and mobile devices. As such, it has become increasingly popular among website designers looking to reach more people and increase their online visibility. With this approach, websites are designed specifically for mobile users, making them more accessible and providing a better overall experience for them.

The design looks cleaner and is much easier to read.

Sites are put together in a more linear, top to bottom format. This makes it easier for your web design and marketing team to tell the story in a logical and comprehendible way.

Websites built for mobile first can be designed with fewer images and other rich media that sometimes slow down the website experience.

Your website team may ignore the desktop design altogether, or not put as much effort into it as they should when building out this side of your website.

The linear layout of the site makes it more difficult for those users who prefer to skim a website, rather than read it thoroughly.

Should I use mobile first design on my new website?

Mobile first means that the mobile experience of your website takes priority when strategizing. We design the mobile version of your website first, instead of starting with the desktop version. This assumption is based on the fact that more and more users are accessing websites from their mobile or smart device, rather than a laptop or desktop computer. It‘s important to consider who your audience is and how they may be discovering you in order to tailor the best experience for them. That‘s why this mobile–first approach is essential. Not only does it ensure your website is optimized for mobile users, but it also provides an opportunity to exceed their expectations.

By taking the time to create a great mobile experience, you can ensure your website stands out and provides a great user experience no matter how they‘re accessing it. In this model, we assume that the majority of your users will visit your website from a mobile or smart device, instead of a laptop or desktop computer. With the pervasiveness of smart phones, it’s more important than ever to evaluate who your audience is and how they’ll most likely be finding you.

Ventura Web Design CEO, Kevin Richards, says that mobile first web design is a piece of the larger marketing puzzle.

“As you’re putting together your new website, it is important to spend time on your strategy. Who will use your site? Why will they choose you over others? If we answer these questions during the strategy phase of your project, we can ensure a much higher likelihood of success.”

If you believe, or the data shows, that your customers will primarily access your website from a 

, then you should absolutely invest in a mobile first web design and strategy session with your web design company. While you’re here, why not 

 and see if we’re the right fit to help with your web project.

If you‘re looking for a beautiful, responsive website that will engage and convert your customers, you need look no further. Our team of experienced web designers are dedicated to creating stunning websites that are optimized to maximize conversions. With our professional designs and attention to detail, we can help you take the next step in your business.

Mobile Web Design: Responsive vs Adaptive

Sometimes, customers click on a link and get a 'page not found' message, known as a 404 page. This can be annoying, but your online store can turn it into a helpful moment. 

 even when they can't find what they're looking for. You can make these pages fun or say sorry for the mistake. This shows you care about your customers. Plus, you can add links to your best-selling products or special deals. This way, customers can easily find other things they might like to buy, instead of leaving your site.

Make Shopping Easier with Custom 404 Pages

Your 404 page is a great place to show what your shop is all about. Instead of a boring error message, make your 404 page fun and show your shop's personality. Use cool pictures, funny words, or something special about your shop. This makes customers remember your store and feel good about it, even if they didn't find what they were looking for at first. Plus, a cool 404 page can make people want to share it with friends, bringing more customers to your shop.

A clever 404 page can turn a lost sale into a new chance. When customers see your helpful 404 page, they might stay on your site longer and look at other things. You can use this page to suggest other products, tell them about sales, or ask them to join your email list. This way, even if they don't buy what they first wanted, they might find something else they like. Also, a good 404 page can make customers like your shop more. They see that you try to help, even when things go wrong. This builds trust and can make them come back to shop again.

10 Tips for Improving Your 404 Error Pages

When visitors encounter a 404 error page on your ecommerce site, it's a crucial moment to turn potential frustration into a positive experience. A well-crafted 404 page can not only retain customers but also encourage further exploration of your site. Below are ten simple yet effective tips to enhance your 404 pages. These suggestions range from adding functional elements like a search bar to creative strategies like offering discounts, all aimed at improving user experience and keeping your visitors engaged.

 on your 404 page. This helps customers easily look for what they wanted to find, or discover something new, without going back.

 Write a clear, friendly message on your 404 page. Avoid technical jargon. Phrases like "Oops, we can't find that page!" are more welcoming.

 Add links to your best-selling or most popular products. This guides customers back to shopping, potentially 

 Provide a small discount or a special offer on the 404 page. This can turn a visitor's disappointment into a pleasant surprise, encouraging them to shop.

 Highlight your latest products or current deals. This keeps the content fresh and may capture the interest of the visitor.

. This can make the 404 experience less frustrating and more enjoyable.

 Make sure your 404 page matches your site's overall look and feel. Consistent branding helps maintain a professional image.

 Include an email address or a contact form for customers who need help. This shows that you're ready to assist with any issues.

 Give customers a way to report a broken link or give feedback. This not only helps you fix errors but also involves the customer in improving your site.

Ensure your 404 page is mobile-friendly. Many customers shop on their phones, so the page should look good and work well on all devices.

When you hit a dead-end on a website, a fun 404 page can turn frustration into a smile. Check out these five custom 404 pages employed by industry leaders, along with explanations of their custom 404 page strategies.

Disney's 404 page features a character from their movie franchise, which gives a playful and brand-specific touch to the error page. The message "You didn't break the internet, but we can’t find what you are looking for" adds a light-hearted tone, suggesting that the error isn't the user's fault. It also includes a search bar with the text "What can KnowsMore help you find today?" encouraging users to continue their journey on the website.

Netflix's 404 page utilizes imagery from one of their original series, creating a thematic scene that's recognizable to fans. The message "Lost your way?" is consistent with the imagery, and the suggestion to return to the Netflix home page is clearly displayed, guiding users back to familiar territory.

Starbucks takes a more interactive approach with their 404 page, showing a spilled drink and inviting users to "Mop up the spill to reveal something underneath." This engagement can distract users from the inconvenience of hitting a dead end and also incentivizes them to explore more of the website.

Publix uses humor on their 404 page, likening the missing page to a product that's "past its sell-by date." They apologize for the error and suggest doing a search or contacting them for help, which is a straightforward method of redirecting users.

GitHub's 404 page features their mascot in a desert with a message that's a playful take on a famous quote from "Star Wars," tailored for the developer audience that frequents their site. This geeky humor aligns with their community's interests and subtly encourages users to continue searching for what they need on GitHub.

A well-designed 404 page is important for any e-commerce site because it helps keep customers engaged even when they encounter a missing page. Instead of a generic error message, a custom 404 page can reflect your brand's character and make the experience less negative for shoppers. By including helpful features like search bars, links to popular products, or special discounts, you can quickly redirect customers to other areas of your site. This not only improves the chance of retaining visitors but can also potentially lead to more sales. A good 404 page shows customers that you value their time and experience, making it more likely they will continue to shop with you.

How to Enhance User Experience with Custom 404 Pages

Are you looking for ways to speed up your website? If so, you're not alone. Many websites suffer from slow loading times, which can be incredibly frustrating for users and lead to a decrease in traffic. In this blog post, we'll cover 10 factors that could be slowing down your website loading speed and how to fix them.

One of the most common culprits of a slow loading web page is unoptimized photos. When uploading high-resolution images (which is always advised) and then scaling them down, it causes your web page size to increase significantly and thus take longer to load. To combat this issue, use JPEG images as opposed to PNG or GIF files since they have smaller file sizes - never use files that have a file size of 1 MB or more! Additionally, there are websites available online that will analyze any link and tell you where slowdowns may be coming from if you're curious about testing your site's speed.

JavaScript is great for plugins but if not used correctly can actually hurt your website's loading speed instead of helping it. To avoid potential problems with JavaScript plugins audit them regularly or contact us for our web design services.

Flash content was popular in the past but has become outdated over time due its slower speeds when compared with HTML5 content - this could be causing your website to load slowly. To fix this issue, either perform an audit of all Flash content on the site or switch over completely to HTML.

If there are too many JavaScripts, CSS stylesheets, and images on one page it can cause an overload on requests sent from the browser which slows down the entire process significantly - try using Sprites instead which reduces HTTP requests by combining multiple images into one image file! Additionally consider pairing down all files including images, JavaScripts & CSS stylesheets as much as possible without compromising quality/functionality.

Caching helps store data so at later requests they load faster taking some burden off the server so it doesn't have to process information multiple times - enable browser/HTTP caching & server-side caching ASAP for improved site speeds.

Excessive styling & whitespace can cause unclean code which increases page size leading directly into slower load times - remove these unnecessary things whenever possible & compress code almost always.

gZIP compression allows users compress file sizes like those found in large objects such as images/CSS/JavaScript making them easier (and faster!) for browsers requesting information from servers - enable gZIP compression ASAP if haven't already done so already!

Ads are great sources of extra revenue but having too many ads means more HTTP requests especially when dealing with media-rich display ads - reduce clutter & improve site speeds by reducing number of ads displayed whenever possible without sacrificing revenue goals, obviously. ;)

A CDN service is basically a network made up independent servers located in different geographic locations designed specifically deploy information quickly based on user location closest server available at time request made – using CDN service will dramatically improve overall site speed.

If all else fails bad hosting service could also be causing issues – try switching hosts company provides optimized speeds within their hosting bundle.

10 Components Slowing Down Your Website

Technology is constantly evolving. Long gone are the days when you could make a simple website, built for desktop, and tons of leads would come your way. Today, you have to build your site for both desktop and mobile visitors. In fact, you may even find that the majority of site visitors are on mobile devices, rather than desktops. Mobile versus desktop site usage varies by industry and website type, but the message is still the same... Your website has to be designed for mobile. For website owners, knowing how to tell if your site is truly mobile friendly is often difficult and time consuming. That's why it is important to find a great web design company that you can trust (hint hint, Ventura Web Design & Marketing).

While not everyone is a web design expert, we do believe that the more a store owner knows, the more successful the website will be. This doesn't mean that you should become the primary web designer for your site. If you did, you would never have time for your vendors, your customers, or your family. Nevertheless, the information below is presented in a "How-To" style so that you, the store owner, can understand what your web designer should be doing for you. I hope that these tips are easy to understand and help you to get the most out of your website design project.

Start from the Ground Up with Mobile-First Design

The best way to optimize your site for mobile devices is to start when your site is being built. You can approach your website build or redesign from a mobile-first perspective.

You might be wondering what the heck does "mobile first" even mean? It means to begin your design for the smallest screen possible. This approach may seem odd, but it has advantages over "traditional" design techniques.

The small size of a mobile device forces you to focus on what the most important features of the site are. This provides a solid foundation to build into larger sizes. Large display usually include all the bells and whistles. When you start with large screens, you have to strip away as you go smaller. You run the risk of losing features on mobile devices or making it feel like an afterthought.

With mobile-first design you can focus on content. This allows you to create a hierarchy of what's most important. An emphasis on user experience makes your site easy to use. Optimizing for speed allows more people to see your site. To truly have a site that's mobile-optimized, it needs to be built for mobile.

Design your site from the ground up for mobile devices

Build to larger size devices to expand on the core content and features

While all that is great, what do you do if your site was not built using a mobile first approach? Well, we've got some helpful tips to improve your mobile performance no matter how your site was built!

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: images! It's true, images are a huge contributor to heavy and slow loading websites on mobile. Technology continues to improve, many desktop displays are now 4k resolution or higher. This is great for the web, we can show so much more detail, and quality throughout websites. But, sometimes it's easy to overlook smaller devices, particularly mobile phones.

For example, let's consider two image sizes: a large desktop web hero image and a mobile hero image. Our example desktop version at full quality comes in at 923kb, while the mobile image is only 302kb (32.7%). Even then, you would be surprised how many websites don't change the image on mobile devices.

Image file types and quality have a lot to do with file sizes. For many images, it's possible to greatly reduce the file size. In the web design & development industry this process is called "optimization". Here's our example image sizes when optimized: Desktop = 207kb (-77.5%), Mobile = 68kb (-77.4%). That's a massive difference! Optimizing your images for mobile will have a huge impact on your site's performance.

Lastly, when it comes to image file types, the standard and most widely format used is the "JPG" format. JPGs are great for photos, textures & background images. They do lack the ability to be transparent. When you compress JPG files, it usually results in a slightly blurry or "fuzzy" version of the image. For this reason, they're not ideal for logos, crisp text or similar applications.

When you need to display a logo, text, icon or similar small elements, the go to filetype is "PNG". PNG files use a lossless compression algorithm. Lossless compression means you don't lose colors or quality when the file is saved. They also include an "alpha channel" used for transparency. The downside is that PNG files tend to have a larger file size than their JPG counterparts.

Use the correct filetype for the situation

You may have heard the term "responsive design", but what does it mean? It's an approach to website design development in which the website responds to the user. The way that the site changes is usually based on screen size, platform, and orientation.

We build responsive websites using technology designed that responds to the user's device. From a practical standpoint, this has the advantage of allowing only one site to be built. Responsive websites support a huge number of devices. Without responsive design, we would need to build a site for each device.

Using this technology we can decide which images are seen based on the user's device. We can also change the layout and design styles as needed. This provides the most efficient version of the site for every device.

Create one website that works on a large number of devices

Optimize image delivery, layout and styles for each size device

Even with "mobile-first design", other factors can affect how efficient your site is. One major contributor is your site's code structure and scripting.

With so many plugins, apps & other features that can be added to your site, it's easy to go overboard. Sometimes those features can slow your site down and make it less efficient. That's especially true for less powerful mobile devices.

The best way to remedy this is to decide what features are most important to your site and slowly add one at a time. Keep track of your site's performance before and after the addition. As you add more and more you'll notice that it may start slowing down. Don't give it too many tasks (or the wrong tasks) to do when a user arrives at the page. Try to make your website do the least amount of work needed.

Remove excess scripts, organize and minify code, "turn off" scripts that are unneeded. For many owners, this needs a developer to optimize the site without breaking it.

Watch out for code bloat and unneeded scripting slowing down your site

When adding features, test, test and test again to make sure it's working as intended.

Remove or alter scripts as needed to improve performance

Optimizing your site for mobile is a great way to improve your user's experience. This affects all areas of the business, particularly if you run an e-commerce site. Customers are more likely to buy if your mobile site works well.

Optimizing for Mobile Web Design

Friday the 13th is here yet again which means all of the 

 are on red alert. If you’ve had an aversion to embracing or even promoting this holiday because of this phobia then you are missing out! We’re here to show you there’s a completely different way to handle this traditionally unlucky day and tell you how to turn it into a positive marketing experience. We’ve put together a list of 7 super lucky marketing tips for Friday the 13th that we’re sure will bring even the most scardiest of cats to your site.

Instead of pretending you don’t know it exists or trying to roll out a different promotion, embrace it! Send out your promotion loud & proud on all of your 

 platforms. Your followers are more likely to focus on the discount itself as opposed to the theme. Use Friday the 13th to catch their eye and get them to notice your brand.

Friday the 13th has always been associated with bad luck and all of the things that go with it (especially a certain less than friendly character who shall remain nameless.) Use your promotion to flip that mindset around and send out more of a “lucky” message. For example you could say something along the lines of “We Only Believe In Good Luck Today. Get Free Shipping Sitewide!” instead of the traditionally negative connotations of the day.

Offer A Discount Featuring the Number 13 


This one is so simple it’s basically effortless. Make your promotion feature the number 13 - “13% Off”, “$13 Off” or even “13 Best-Selling Products On Sale Today!”, something along those lines.

In line with the above tips, draw some urgency along with some positivity to your promotion! Let your customers know that today is the one and only day to take advantage of whatever offer you decide to send out and send it out everywhere! Most likely social & email campaigns will bring the most traffic but having a custom banner promoting the sale on your homepage is never a bad idea.

The internet is going to be chock-full of posts playing on the “bad luck” theme of the day so why not make your brand stand out and go the opposite way? Use any of the tips listed above as a marketing idea and get your followers excited about Friday the 13th!

In addition to doing a special one day sale, you could also build up excitement for the arrival of Friday the 13th by posting about it days, even weeks, prior. Get your followers pumped up by announcing that you’ll be releasing a special offer on Friday the 13th and then make it a huge deal once the day arrives.

Make Sure Your Promotion is Mobile-Friendly 


There’s nothing more unlucky than losing a sale because a user has an unpleasant mobile experience, and that happens on regular non-Friday the 13th days! Never forget to test everything on mobile because more than ever people are making purchases on their phone. “According to last year’s Black Friday statistics...more than $1.2 billion in revenue was generated in a single day through purchases made on mobile devices”.¹

That's it! That's about all you need to know about marketing in a positive way on the unluckiest day of the year. Happy posting!

Resources for Success

Learn Design

Mobile Web Design: Responsive vs Adaptive

How to Enhance User Experience with Custom 404 Pages

10 Components Slowing Down Your Website

Optimizing for Mobile Web Design

7 Lucky Marketing Tips for Friday the 13th

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