FAQs

Design is a funny word. It’s both noun and verb. Most people think of design as a noun — as decoration. We think of design as verb – a way of improving something – and shapes why we do what we do, and how we do it. We don’t sell design by the meter or dozen. We provide measurably improved website design, not decoration.

Design is measurable. Decoration is subjective.
Design makes things work better for many. Decoration looks better to a few.
Design simplifies and makes it easier. Decoration complicates.
Design creates context and meaning. Decoration distracts and subverts attention.

Frequently asked questions:

What exactly do you design?

Visually, we design web sites, including navigation systems, user interfaces, layout systems, forms, buttons, landing pages, commerce etc.

Strategically we design ways of measuring performance improvements within your website.

We can redesign your existing site. Whether your site suffers from usability issues, poor conversion rates, productivity issues, user experience failings, or unable to accommodate new offerings, we can measurably improve your site’s performance.

We can refine your users’ experience and conversion paths within your site. If your site is underperforming or failing to convert as expected, we can analyze your site’s key metrics and implement measured improvements.

We can launch your online brand or product. Whether you’re launching a new product or services we can establish your online presence.

For a more specific discussion about how we can help you improve your website’s performance, please click here to set up a call.

How much does it cost to work with WondrackDesign?

Short answer is depends on the project scope and the value we’re able to provide. We typically estimate well defined projects on a fixed project scope basis. We also partner with companies, brands, and products and take compensation based on sales, profit or ROI improvement metrics. If interested please contact us.

Typical design engagements:

REDESIGN
 Best for clients who are looking to revisit their online presence (including intranets) and better align it with their strategy and upgrade it’s performance.
Timeframe: 8-40 weeks. Cost starts at $5,000 for small sites.
Includes:
Strategy alignment
Tested look and feel overhaul
Ways of measuring success

REFINE
Best for sites that are well built and designed but underperforming in key areas such as conversion rates. May involve redesinging call to actions, landing page, or implementing better systems for measuring success.
Timeframe: 3-10 weeks. Cost start $2,500 for singular element.
Includes:
Strategy refinement
Tested look and feel upgrade
Way of measuring success
NEW
For new brands or product launches
Timeframe: 8-40 weeks. Cost start $10,000 for small sites
Includes:
Strategy development
Establish online look and feel
Ways of measuring success

For a more specific discussion about how we can help you improve your website’s performance, please click here to set up a call.

Do you provide code services too or just design services?

We can provide both. Our focus is on design services and how to measure it and typically includes WC3 compliant XHTML (and CSS), and some javascript, coding. For back-end scripting or database work, we’ll gladly work with your in-house programming team or recommend one of our trusted technology partners to build the right solution.

Do you provide other creative services like copywriting?

Yes. Our best work results from working with dedicated, professional copywriters that understands how copy can effect not only site visitor behavior, but SEO performance as well. We’ll be happy to recommend one of our long-standing copywriting partners, work with your in-house writers or agency to create a smart message platform that’s SEO savvy and drives your users’ to act.

For a more specific discussion about how we can help you improve your website’s performance, please click here to set up a call.

Do you design Flash-based sites?

While we try to stay technologically agnostic, we shy away from Flash because it limits device compatibility, limits content management, and creates certain search engine optimization issues. We prefer to focus on technologies that provide the most compatible experience and greatest search engine performance, and content management flexibility.

We provide W3C valid table-less XHTML 1.0 strict with SEO semantic coding, complete presentational separation and load speed optimization. And compatible with the full array of past, present and future browsers (IE7+, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera) and devices (iPhone, iPad, Android). We code themes for a number of content management systems (CMS) as well.

For a more specific discussion about how we can help you improve your website’s performance, please click here to set up a call.

Do you provide online marketing services?

We focus on building user experiences that result in increased sales conversions or other measurable outcomes. This process invokes active metrics beyond just page hits.

The difference between how advertising agencies define “online marketing” and what we do can be summed up this way: advertising agencies focus begins with awareness and ends with counting hits. Website design focuses on the experience your user has, and measuring how well their experience leads to actions within the site – counting sales, conversions, sign-ups, etc.

Google AdWords, syndicated ad programs, and email campaigns all drive traffic, and are valuable components of a successful sales strategy. Our best work results from working with a dedicated, professional digital media experts. We’ll be happy to recommend one of our partners, work with your in-house departments or agency to create a campaign that drives the right traffic.

Our best clients focus on the ROI of their awareness campaigns combined with our Design Analytics. Our experience has show that without effective landing pages, call to actions etc, advertising without good site design is a wasteful way to market online. For more, check out our article Doctors Doing Your Taxes Isn’t a Good Idea.

Our clients consist of CEOs, marketing leaders, ad agencies, product managers, IT departments, internal communication leaders, entrepreneurs, brand managers to name a few. Whether you call what we do marketing or not is somewhat irrelevant to us. In the end we’re most interested in measurably improving your site’s performance.

For a more specific discussion about how we can help you improve your website’s performance, please click here to set up a call.

How long does it take to see improved results?

Good question, typically results are realized at different times based on the type of strategy.

A product-based strategy that involves converting traffic to sales can take immediate effect. One product site we redesigned achieved the previous annual sales in 2 weeks after re-launch. Annual average conversion rates jumped from 2.0% to 13.8%. What would your bottom line look like if your sales success rates jumped six fold?

A content-based strategy for professional services firm may take a few months to generate note-worthy traffic. The long term effects will augment any marketing strategy since you’re generating more targeted traffic eager to hear what you have to say. One client was able to convert their entire direct marketing efforts to an online efforts and save thousands of dollars in postage and attract more qualified and committed prospects in the process.

A productivity-based intranet strategy can also take immediate effect as well have ongoing benefit. After launching an entirely redesigned intranet, one client was able to cut the number of upgraded calls from their call center to product managers by half. This benefit alone resulted in over 80 man hours of productivity gain per employee. What would your company look like if your employees were 2 weeks more efficient and better served your customers inquiries?

The benefit of all of these strategies is they are more sustainable than others. After their initial implementation they will continue to yield sales, marketing results, and productivity gains because they’re intrinsic to your business, not artificial sales manipulations. While there is continuing opportunities for improvement, the design-centric investment is minor compared to ongoing media budgets, printing and postage, promotions, or agency retainers.

For more specific financial advantages and analysis of what your greatest opportunities we can help you take advantage of, please click here to set up a call.

What's the first step?

First step, as will any problem solving process, involves asking key questions relevant to defining your unique challenges and opportunities. Questions like: why exactly do you expect from a new site, what data do you already know about your visitors, where do profits currently come from, what do you want your visitors to think and do when they see this?

The additional steps involve benchmarking performance and building strategies to measure improvement throughout the implementation phases and ongoing performance management.

We first vet divergent ideas through wire framing and iterating design options within actual usage scenarios. This give us a more objective evaluation platform to make better choices vs. non-users’ opinions.

We then measure design elements such as call to actions, buttons, images, headlines, layout, etc. to gain even further insights into performance metrics. This gives us more objective and intelligent insights which leads to better design decision-making and measurable improvements.

Implementation phases bring it all together; from content development, coding, and design decisions.

Clients of our  most successful projects bring us in to regularly analyze results, patterns, and new opportunities to improve effectiveness and performance factors.

For more specific discussion about the advantages of our process, please click here to set up a call.

We already have an ad agency, how would that work?

In our 17 year history we’ve worked with many of our clients’ external ad agencies and internal marketing and advertising departments. We’ve also been hired directly by ad agencies to augment their team. The key to those successes has been a clear understanding and respect for everyone’s value. We value ad agencies ability to persuade and drive interest to the site, and they value our ability to build sites that convert those visitors.

For more specific discussion about how our expertise can complement ad agencies, please click here to set up a call.

Have you designed a website for companies like ours?

Chances are in our 17 year history launching over 150 sites we have. Our deep and unique experience is focused on making your site more effective by measuring design, regardless of industry or metric. You have more inherent knowledge of your business, and we are experts in how to measure design and improve your website’s performance.

Our clients consist of CEOs, marketing leaders, ad agencies, product managers, IT departments, internal communication leaders, entrepreneurs, brand managers from financial institutions, health care companies, retail, and professional service companies among many others.

For a more specific discussion about how we can help you improve your website’s performance, please click here to set up a call.

What awards have you won?

Since 2001 Wondrack Design hasn’t entered work in a design award show. In general, shows and annuals are superior collections of the best looking work that can provide visual inspiration. Our experience submitting and judging shows has taught us that the criteria for awards primarily focuses on superficial visual factors and fail to measure key metrics like return on investment, measurable improvements, increased productivity, conversion rates, etc. By treating design as an object of fashion, it ignores the underlying reasons for successful work. And for that we choose not to support such that perpetuate that belief.

Over the years, our clients and partners have entered projects that included our work and been awarded local, regional and national awards from such organizations as PRSA, AIGA, Great Places to Work, RBJ Best of the Web, among others.

If you’d like to discuss how we can help you improve your website’s performance, please click here to set up a call.