Top 7 Typography Trends to Use This 2018

It’s 2018 and ‘tis the time to be done with the old and in with the new–new fonts and typography, that is.

Updating any form of graphic design, whether it’s for your branding, website, content, or what have you, is always exciting, especially when you’re incorporating new typography styles. So without further ado, here are 7 typography trends that you just can’t miss this new year!

1. Serifs for Sure

The Serifs are back in action. Expect it to be used with Sans Serif in a wide range of uses, which includes web pages, headings, body of text, and many more. Experts say that the Serif font reads faster than Helvetica, which is why we’re pretty sure to see more of Serifs dominating this year and probably even the next.

2. The Bigger, the Better

Prepare to stand out with bigger and bolder typography. Minimalism still remains somewhat prevalent but maximalism is well on its way to dominate. And what better way to join in the fun than by pushing the boundaries of design with big and bold typography that would allow your brand to really stand out from the crowd, right?

3. Calligraphy Makes the Cut

Calligraphy, particularly modern handwritten style, also gets its fair share of the spotlight this year. This kind of typography is more prevalent in logo design, which explains why even some of the biggest companies has been using this typography for quite some time now–case in point, Instagram.

4. Retro Returns

Let’s hear it for the return of vintage design as retro-inspired typography makes a huge comeback this year. Groovy fonts and typography that bring back that sense of funky and eclectic nostalgia are becoming more widely used, whether it’s for logo design or other forms of visual content across various platforms.

5. Colorful Craze

In line with maximalist design, we’re also bound to see more colors injected into various uses of typography. This allows brands to experiment more and let loose, giving them a chance to show more of their fun side, which would also make them a wee bit more relatable and accessible to their audience.

6. Customised Creations

Brands that really want to step their game up go for customised typography, especially when it comes to their logos and signature branding aesthetic. This is a great move for those who want to really set their brand apart from the rest of the competition and make a more unique impression to customers.

7. Great With Gradients

Gradient design is also making splashes this year with its mesmerising display of multi-colored or monochromatic hues that seamlessly blend into one another. Going beyond typography, gradient hues are also widely used in other design formats such as web design, social media content, and so on.

Which among these fun and funky typography trends are you most excited to use? We highly recommend mixing it up by combining two or more of these trends to create maximum impact for your branding materials!

The post Top 7 Typography Trends to Use This 2018 appeared first on Creativ Digital.

5 SEO Tasks to Cross Off Your Checklist for 2018

With every new year comes a new set of trends and tasks that you have to check off your list to make sure that your site stays on top this 2018.

Good news is, we’re not talking about trends you’ve never even heard of. A lot of what’s likely to get big in 2018 is also derived from the changes and updates that happened in 2017.

Suffice it to say, this new year combines tried and tested SEO tactics that you have to reinforce, alongside new trends that are sure to come up this year. And to help you reflect on what to prepare for, we’ve compiled 5 of the most actionable SEO tasks to cross off your checklist for 2018.

1. Optimisation for Mobile Devices
The rise of mobile search has steadily been on the rise over the years, and 2018 is the year that we will officially see Google implementing a mobile-first indexing. So what does this mean?

According to Google, they “will create and rank its search listings based on the mobile version of content, even for listings that are shown to desktop users.” This just means that as a developer and site owner, you now have to pay so much more attention to how the mobile version of your site is crafted.

It’s not enough to sit back and relax, thinking that you have a working mobile version of the site. It has to provide a seamless user experience. Best way to go about it is to have a website audit done on your mobile site to know points for improvement in terms of speed, layout, design, user experience, and so on.

2. Local Search Rankings
Both on-site and off-site optimisation for local searches have become more relevant than ever. In order to ensure that your site doesn’t fall out of the game, you have to constantly work on improving your local search optimisation.

Not only should you monitor your site’s activities and analytics, but tracking that of your competitors should also be on your checklist. Knowing how customers are finding your site or the site of your competitors would work wonders in winning the local rankings game.

3. Voice Search Optimisation
Did you know that about 55% of teens and 40% of adults use voice search daily? Those numbers are straight from Google’s reports and it could only mean that voice search may as well be the future of SEO.

But while this may be the prediction of many experts, it’s not something that you should be wary of. Take note that what sets voice search apart from your regular search engine optimisation is the format of keywords used.

Those who use voice search use normal and conversational questions, as opposed to oddly structured phrases that’s the norm for SEO keywords. Start looking for most commonly asked questions or sentences in relation to your main keywords and go from there.

4. Keyword Grouping
Nowadays it’s not enough to simply rely on a set of main keywords. What’s become more effective is the intelligent use of primary, secondary, and other related keywords–also known as keyword clusters or groups.

Having these related keywords present in your text content helps prove to Google that your content is actually relevant to searchers’ queries. There are keyword grouping tools that you can use, or you can do it manually, as tedious as that may sound.

You’ll be surprised at how well it pays off in the end, especially in proving your site’s relevance in search engine results.

5. Improve Site Speed
Are you even surprised that site speed has become even more necessary this year? Your site’s speed is not just an important ranking signal, it’s also a major UX factor, which of course impacts rankings as well.

To give you an idea of what your standards of site speed should be, Google expects your pages to load in under 3 seconds. Just three seconds.

If you’re not up to par with that, first thing you should do is to know your site’s speed using Google’s page speed test. You can check on individual pages there and identify problem areas that you should fix as soon as possible.

Conclusion
The new year is a chance for you to revisit your SEO strategies to see what’s been working, what’s lacking, and what you can improve on. At the same time, you have to be aware of the updates that are coming your way, so you can prepare for it ahead of your competitors.

If you feel overwhelmed, you can start with these 5 SEO tasks we’ve provided and go on from there.

Awareness is half the battle and since you’re already in the know, consider it as a small victory! Of course, just make sure to follow through in executing these tasks and strategies to win over the SEO game this 2018.

The post 5 SEO Tasks to Cross Off Your Checklist for 2018 appeared first on Creativ Digital.

4 Quick Tips to Boost SEO in 3 Hours

According to statistics, when a website is at the top of a search engine’s result, the chances of it getting clicked is at 33%. So even if your website is on the first page, you still miss a lot of potential traffic. If you are wondering why you only place second, third, or fourth on search engines, then this article is for you.
Even if you’ve been concentrating on improving your site’s SEO for several weeks, there are still some things you forget to do, which can be done in less than 4 hours, to rank first in search engine result pages.

Use Your Competitors’ Keywords

Using your competitor’s branded keywords will give you traffic that involves visitors looking for a merchandise or service that you and your competitors offer. Studies reveal that branded keyword phrases are 5 times more likely to turn visitors into leads, and as long as you do not mention their trademark, you are all set.
The ones that you should be using are the specific keywords people look for in your competitor’s brand. And while you use their keywords in your ad copy, make sure you also focus on your ad copy’s design. So which keywords should you use?

• Your competitor’s easiest keywords
• Your competitor’s keywords that are similar to you
• The highest click-through rate words you and your competitors use

Mobile-Optimize Your Website

Google has chosen to make their index mobile-first, which means that it will use the mobile version of a site’s content to rank pages on their result pages.
A website that loads at a slow pace not only has an adverse effect on user experience but also on a site’s search ranking. Mobile page speed matters to search engines as more than half of Google’s search activity happens on mobile devices, and to ensure that those searches take place easily and fast is everybody’s interest.
Large photos are one of the main reasons for slow page speed for mobile websites. Fortunately, there are plugins you can install to compress the images on your site, one of which is the Smush Image Compression and Optimization. It can instantly smush and cut all the unnecessary data in every single photo on your website.

Local SEO

People are turning to the internet to find local businesses – on desktop and mobile. And while global SEO is important, local SEO should not be forgotten.
Finding a specific business, a product or a service are the top reasons for a local search. Most local searchers are looking for a particular business name, but many of them don’t have a specific business in mind when they begin to search. By using local search techniques, you can better promote your company to prospects looking for your type of business.
Inserting your brand through various local listings is important to local SEO. Put your keywords on various listings, ensure that your photos are updated, and categorize your business accordingly.
One of the easiest things you can do now to increase your brand’s local SEO is by claiming your Google My Business profile. Updating your businesses’ profile with a contact number, category, photos, and business hours can give a boost to your local SEO.

Check for Duplicate Tags and Broken Links

Duplicate content can bring down your website’s SEO ranking, so every business should focus on proper content creation to get traffic to their website. In some instances, content is intentionally duplicated across domains to manipulate a search engine’s algorithm to get more traffic. Deceitful practices like this can result in a poor user experience.
Proactively addressing duplicate content issues will make sure visitors see the content you want them to. Luckily, there are many tools that can be used to address duplicate content issues. Siteliner is a tool that can search for duplicate content and broken links on your website, giving you a free detailed content analysis report.

Conclusion

Improving your SEO ranking will help get traffic to your website. It can be frustrating to consume a great deal of time and energy on SEO and not see the fruits of your labour. Be sure to keep in mind the suggestions shared in this article to give your website’s SEO a quick boost. And last but not the least, let Google re-crawl your website after making changes.

The post 4 Quick Tips to Boost SEO in 3 Hours appeared first on Creativ Digital.

Umbraco: The Unheard CMS You Need to Know

Different Content Management Systems provide different functionalities, one better than the other. However, there is not one single CMS that has it all, some are better off used by mid-sized firms while some are great for high-volume eCommerce businesses. There are several Microsoft systems that can be used to create eCommerce platforms —  Kentico, Sitefinity, Sitecore, and Umbraco are just some of them.

In this article, we will talk about the platforms created by Microsoft Technologies then dive into Umbraco’s features, what it can offer. who it is for, and how it can help you succeed.

Kentico

Great for both large and mid-sized businesses, Kentico caters to multi-national companies like Hyundai, Twinnings, Mazda, and Allergan. Kentico doesn’t have several ERP and CRM integrations that are crucial for retaining valuable customer information. However, there are many useful options that can help solve this problem, our top choice is Kentico REST Service.

Sitefinity

If you need a CMS that can be readily combined into an existing eCommerce platform, Sitefinity has got your back. The principal selling point of this system is its interface that is not just user-friendly but also for beginners who doesn’t know much about CMS and how it functions. The only area it needs improvement is its technological advancement in terms of self-regulated marketing,  eCommerce, and personalization.

Sitecore

Where Sitefinity lacks, Sitecore makes up for. Sitecore boasts of its technology in terms of personalization. It is the most used CMS by both minor and major SME’s and the largest companies all over the world. Specializing in automated marketing, eCommerce is just a part of their huge system. This system is best used by eCommerce businesses with high volumes, especially when marketing automation and personalization comes as an important factor.

Umbraco

Focusing on its checkout functionality, Umbraco is great for eCommerce websites who value their client’s user experience. Specializing in a fast, secured, summarized, and distraction-free checkout, it is admired by thousands of companies for its flexibility. This platform comes with 3 licenses to best suit your needs:

uCommerce

uCommerce is a .NET eCommerce system that provides a wide array of eCommerce options. The options to choose from are Free, Pro, and the Enterprise edition. If you need a comprehensive solution, uCommerce is your best bet. Its flexibility of multiple categories, inventory management, brand management makes it one of the best.

uWebshop

uWebshop got popular as an option to uCommerce. Starting at €299, it has a lot of functionalities that uCommerce lacks. From personalized layouts to unlimited shops, it offers more flexible opportunities for an eCommerce shop.

Tea Commerce

An uncomplicated platform that makes eCommerce hassle-free. It became popular with its several API developments, its license is priced at €349. Currently, more than 400 eCommerce websites use it to run their businesses.

The post Umbraco: The Unheard CMS You Need to Know appeared first on Creativ Digital.

Website Traffic 101: The Complete Guide to Your WordPress Blog

WordPress is an amazing and wonderful Content Management System and blogging is a fun profession all people can appreciate. In this modern online world, blogging has become a passion for some. And for the many, being tech-savvy is a skill they use to start a career at home, a place they consider to be most comfortable to work at.

For the record, there are more than 400 million WordPress blogs accessible by using search engines such as Google and Bing. This means that the traffic is split among so many online websites, so earning your blog’s fair share of traffic can be a troublesome task.

Driving traffic to your blog is not cheap and easy, but there are many ways you can do (for free) to get the most traffic possible. In this article, we’ll give you all the things we know you should do to succeed in your endeavour.

1. Install Plugins

In this fast-paced world, internet users want to see everything they click in split-seconds. If your site loading time is more than 3 seconds, then chances are search engines are not likely to show your website on top of their listings.

Luckily, there are plugins you can install for free on your WordPress blog to increase the loading speed of your site. Smush Image Compression and Optimization will compress the images on your website to reduce its file sizes, thus reducing loading time. W3 Total Cache also boasts of its powerful abilities in promoting your website’s speed by “caching” all information that has been previously loaded.

Related: 5 WordPress Plugins to Turn Your Website Into an SEO Powerhouse

2. Update Regularly

Successful people regularly update their blogs. The only thing constant in the world of technology is change, and that is what people are looking for. If your website is not updated on a regular basis, people will think that your site has become inactive.

Your content strategy matters. So if you update your website regularly with irrelevant content, not many people will appreciate your blog. Focus on one to three specific topics and expand your archive from there. It is also important to remember that photos, videos, and infographics appeal more to audiences than blog posts alone. Make a point to plan well in advance, present rich content, use high-quality photo and videos to earn their attention and make them coming back for more.

3. Internal Linking

When people read your posts and they find something they don’t know, they will search for it elsewhere. But if your site has internal links, people who view your page are more likely to click that link instead of going elsewhere, thus generating website traffic. This also increases page views of your website, helps your site get indexed by search engines and improves your page ranking.

Installing plugins like Contextual Related Posts is another way of promoting internal linking on your site where the reader gets to view content related to a particular topic.

4. Establish Trust

Establishing a blog that is trustworthy is not easy, and only time will tell when people will learn to trust you. Luckily, there are many ways you can do to help speed-up this process. One of which is by installing plugins like Akismet Anti-Spam plugin that fights spams. Placing an SSL certificate on your blog will give that extra advantage and secure your site further.

When your blog has great content, people will trust you in no time. Establishing trust with your readers will play a big role in your blog’s success. Always remember that a virus-free blog is trusted by users, and these sites are open to monetizing opportunities.

5. Share

Once you have all the right blocks put together, your site looks neat, and you have great content, it’s time to let the whole world know what you have been doing. The wider your audiences are, the better your chances of getting traffic.

A good promotion technique includes coverage in various online websites where your audience may be present. Here are some tips to get you going:

• Share your new and trending posts through all your social media accounts
• Build your network with other blogs and cooperate with their respective writers
• Enable “sharing” your posts on all social media sites
• Allow people to sign-up for newsletters to your blog

Conclusion

Making a website up and ready is easy, but getting people to view your website is not. You need a well-planned strategy to drive traffic to your website. Making your website fast, updating your content regularly, establishing trust and sharing your posts are just some of the ways you can do to help your website get traffic. Do not limit yourself to what you think you can do and to the things listed here. The possibilities of your success are unlimited and your imagination is the limit.

The post Website Traffic 101: The Complete Guide to Your WordPress Blog appeared first on Creativ Digital.