Web Smarts - Business Savvy
We’ve been building websites since 1998
We are trusted advisors to Over 50 Active Clients within several industries including associations and nonprofits, healthcare, financial services, retail, B2B and more.
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Trusted
Partners
After we deliver a quality website on time and within your budget, we will be there for when it really counts. We will be proactive, consultative and strategic after we launch your website.
We Are
Integration
Experts
We’ve integrated with virtually every AMS system on the market as well as most LMS, publication, advocacy and career center applications. Our company was founded on custom development.
We build websites that are easy to edit, manage and design using the best content management system on the market, Sitefinity CMS.
We Provide A Full Spectrum Of Services
Our Clients Are Our Partners....
John Wurm
The team at Vanguard helped us think about our digital presence from the perspective and needs of our users, while holding true to the values our organization espouses.
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The
Vanguard View
Technology articles about one topic from the perspective of Leadership, Marketing and IT professionals .
Word Vomit or Hurling Chunks?
Word vomit. We're all guilty of doing this on our websites. We have gigantic pages with thousands of words, and reading through it all can make you sick to your stomach. But what if I told you there was a better throwing-up related metaphor that could actually help you write content to make it easier for your users to read everything? Let's talk about writing content in chunks.
Why Chunks? Because nowadays...
...we get our news and content in an entirely different way than we used to. We used to open the paper to get our daily news. Now, we are tapping the blue bird icon on our smart phone. The biggest differences between the two have to do with the medium of the content and how we've changed with technology.
Steve Krug, a well-known UX/UI guru best known for his book Don't Make Me Think, tells us about the "facts of life" - that we scan, we satisfice, and that we make do. As a user, you are likely used to skimming through long directions and finding our own way to make things work, or skipping the terms and conditions pages when signing up for a new account. We're now incredibly good at scanning pages to see if they're relevant to us or not.
So when we write, we need to consider a few things:
- Writing in bullets helps our users scan.
- Keeping paragraphs short and to the point helps us "chunk" information.
- And...
...utilizing headers helps users get the big idea.
This allows users to more quickly scan in different patterns. This is often seen across various websites for both reading/content and products.
Image from: https://medium.com/@lineindesign/be-a-designer-who-can-also-help-with-writing-copy-2f4ea02a5646 **
The F and Z scanning patterns oftentimes (but not always) fit when users scan a page with content and products. If we keep these scanning patterns in mind as we create content, it becomes easy to understand how content should be written and “chunked out” so that users can quickly read what they need to.
So, when we write...
Let's keep in mind how people read these days.
- Use headers and bullets for ease of reading and scanning.
- This can also force you to really get to the point with your writing.
- Keep in mind how users will likely want to read through everything.
And lastly, break out your content into chunks so it's not word vomit.
Vanguard has put together a “Writing for the Web” presentation led by our UX/UI strategist for our clients to learn best practices when writing content. If you are interested in this presentation, reach out to your Client Service Manager.
Vanguard Tips & Tricks
We provide helpful hints you never knew you needed for our clients. Check out "Vanguard Tips & Tricks" to learn quick and simple hacks to make managing your website easier than ever.
Word Vomit or Hurling Chunks?
Word vomit. We're all guilty of doing this on our websites. We have gigantic pages with thousands of words, and reading through it all can make you sick to your stomach. But what if I told you there was a better throwing-up related metaphor that could actually help you write content to make it easier for your users to read everything? Let's talk about writing content in chunks.
Why Chunks? Because nowadays...
...we get our news and content in an entirely different way than we used to. We used to open the paper to get our daily news. Now, we are tapping the blue bird icon on our smart phone. The biggest differences between the two have to do with the medium of the content and how we've changed with technology.
Steve Krug, a well-known UX/UI guru best known for his book Don't Make Me Think, tells us about the "facts of life" - that we scan, we satisfice, and that we make do. As a user, you are likely used to skimming through long directions and finding our own way to make things work, or skipping the terms and conditions pages when signing up for a new account. We're now incredibly good at scanning pages to see if they're relevant to us or not.
So when we write, we need to consider a few things:
- Writing in bullets helps our users scan.
- Keeping paragraphs short and to the point helps us "chunk" information.
- And...
...utilizing headers helps users get the big idea.
This allows users to more quickly scan in different patterns. This is often seen across various websites for both reading/content and products.
Image from: https://medium.com/@lineindesign/be-a-designer-who-can-also-help-with-writing-copy-2f4ea02a5646 **
The F and Z scanning patterns oftentimes (but not always) fit when users scan a page with content and products. If we keep these scanning patterns in mind as we create content, it becomes easy to understand how content should be written and “chunked out” so that users can quickly read what they need to.
So, when we write...
Let's keep in mind how people read these days.
- Use headers and bullets for ease of reading and scanning.
- This can also force you to really get to the point with your writing.
- Keep in mind how users will likely want to read through everything.
And lastly, break out your content into chunks so it's not word vomit.
Vanguard has put together a “Writing for the Web” presentation led by our UX/UI strategist for our clients to learn best practices when writing content. If you are interested in this presentation, reach out to your Client Service Manager.
Case Studies
Vanguard conducts thorough preliminary investigative work to ensure your website is built to cater specifically to your target audience and meet your organization’s goals. Check out some of the case studies on some of our most recent client success stories.
What Can Vanguard Do For You?
As your organization grows and evolves, your website should as well. Whether you are looking to generate more traffic, implement custom functionality, mobile compatibility, integrate your systems, or give your site a complete redesign, Vanguard Technology is your go-to web partner. Reach out to us with your current concerns with your website, and our experts will happily provide a solution.