b'SMART OPERATIONSTaking a Look at Website Design ConsiderationsIf you have a narrow website that is not mobile-friendly, andperhaps uses animated GIFs and maybe Flash animation, youPeterare probably wondering what happened to that BlockbusterPellandstore where you rented your VHS videotapes.I recently presented a webinar titled around in the dark, there was a prolif- and then optimize the fluid content for Most have been persuaded that CMS isBest Practices: Website Design Consid- eration of separate websites that were smaller displays. Others yet, with no their key to escaping dependence uponerations before members of several intended for smaller displays and lim- real design experience, rely on tem- webmasters who charge exorbitant feesstatecampgroundassociations.Al- itedbandwidth,typicallywith plates to do the job for them. In my and take forever to make changes, a sit-though my company has been building stripped down content and a .mobi opinion, due to the small display, al- uation which may be far from truthful.campgroundwebsitessince1998,it URL. This was sort of like having a car most any responsive website is going to Another temptation is to use one of thewas not my intention to promote my that you drove in the summer and a look fine on a phone. Looking really im- many free website building tools thatcompany in that webinar, nor is it my separate vehicle that you could drive pressiveonalargerdisplay,onthe can be found online. One claims thatintention to do so in this column. What on snowy mountain roads in the win- other hand, requires a more sophisti- you will make a website in minutes I would like to share is objective advice ter. When somebody visited a website, cated level of design skills that go far (with)zerocodeordesignskillsre-onhowtomaketherightdecisions they would encounter a link that said, beyond just making a bigger version of quired. If you do not quite want to do-when it comes to what is almost cer- Click here for a mobile version of this the content that appears on a phone. it-yourself,anothercompanyclaimstainly the single most important tool to site. that it will build you a stunning web-market your business both today and in That was inefficient, and the search The End User Experience site in 48 hours for only $400 per year,the years ahead. engines hated it. There were essen- When you want a customer to get including hosting and a domain name.Let me start with some history. In the tially two websites to maintain. Fortu- from point A (your sites point of entry, In both instances, try to find a contactearly days, websites were built to be nately, these were soon replaced by usually its Home page) to point B (the link on their websites with an addressviewedoncomputers,usuallywith adaptive websites, where the website call to action, the reservation request), in the United States (or anywhere, forsmallmonitorsandslowdial-up did its best to detect the device being you do not want to send them through thatmatter).Then,beforegettingmodems. Until Apple introduced the used and then presented one of two a maze. This is the same reason that burned, do a Google search with one offirst iPhonein 2007, what was a smart- alternate versions of content. There there is a consistent clockwise traffic those companies names followed byphone? Websites were designed to fit were still two versions of content to pattern in almost every major super- the word complaints.narrow computer monitors and limited maintain. This was sort of like having market, where you enter into the pro- There isnt a single larger-sized busi-bandwidth. As time went on, cutting a big SUV where, when the roads got duce, fresh bakery, and prepared foods ness in America where the owner pre-edge sites used Macromedia Flash, later sloppy, you had to get out and turn the departments;proceedtothedeli, tends to be his own webmaster. Canacquired by Adobe. Flash is no longer hubs on the front wheels and then en- meats, dairy and frozen foods; then find you imagine Jeff Bezos or Elon Musksupported on iOS (meaning any Mac or gage the transfer case to drive in four- the impulse items like candy bars and working on his own website? RecognizeAppledevice),Android devices(in wheel drive. the National Enquirer at the checkout the value of having professional guid-other words, no mobile devices, which Finally,responsivewebsitedesign stands. ance and valid marketing advice incor-are two-thirds of the market), and will came along where one website was de- Navigating the supermarket aisles is porated into your website. Probably thesee the final nail driven into its coffin at signed to detect the device being used an intuitive process that has been care- most important factor is hiring one ofthe end of December. Websites now andthenpresentcontentthatwas fully crafted and fine-tuned to maxi- the many reputable companies withneed to be built so that they present full scaled to the size of the display, whether mize sales. The same sort of formulas both an extensive and an intimate un-content across all platforms and de- it was a phone, a tablet, a laptop com- should apply to your website. People derstanding of the campground indus-vices. If you have a narrow website that puter or a big monitor. This is essen- expect to find the navigation either at try.Yourbusinessdependsuponisnotmobile-friendly,andperhaps tially the all-wheel drive of websites and the top of the page or the left-hand col- making the right decision.uses animated GIFs and maybe Flash could have been the brainchild of Sub- umn, floating so they do not have toanimation, you are probably wonder- aru. Thisisthestandardtoday,and scroll back up for access. The content PeterPellandistheCEOof ing what happened to that Blockbuster Google and Bing love it. should be presented intuitively, organ- Pelland Advertising, a company thatstore where you rented your VHS video- Therearenosimplefixesorup- ized in a logical fashion that translates he founded in 1980 that has beentapes. grades to turn an old website into a new into page structure, and nobody should serving the family camping industryresponsive site. It is an entirely different have to search or click to access essen- for nearly 40 years. His company spe-Mobile-Friendly framework,anditrequiresthecon- tial contact information. cializes in building fully responsiveJustlikewehavebothlifelong struction of an all-new site. When a re- websites, along with producing a fullfriends and recently made casual ac- sponsive site is being built, there are The Easiest Approaches range of four-color process print ad-quaintances, there have been many different approaches: Some website de- Mostsmallbusinessownershave vertising,forclients.Learnmoreapproaches to the presentation of mo- signers tend to first design for mobile been convinced in recent years that a aboutPellandAdvertisingatbile-friendly website content. In the devices then let the chips fall where content management system (CMS) is https://pelland.com/ or see its ad inearly days (in this case, 2005), as web- theymayonlargerdisplays.Others essential, giving them the ability to di- this issue. WCMsite designers were feeling their way tend to first design for larger displays, rectly maintain their website content.Camping World Sees Revenue Hike Amid Industry-Wide RV SurgeCamping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH), a retailer taled 37,990 units for the month, an increase of 35.3%of RVs and related services and products, reported that compared to last Septembers total of 28,085 units. Mo-revenue increased 21% or $290.8 million to $1.679 billion torhomes finished the month with 3,519 units, down (-during the companys third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. 1.0%) compared to the September 2019 total of 3,554In addition, gross profit increased 57.5% to $533.1 mil- units.lion and gross margin increased 737 basis points to The demand for RVs continues to be strong heading31.8%; into the fall and the industry is on track to surpass lastThe news at Camping World followed the overall years numbers, said RV Industry Association Presidenttrend in the RV sector as new buyers flooded to the mar- Craig Kirby. ket seeking safe travel options amid the Covid)-19 pan- For the year, shipments stand at 300,100 units, off justdemic. 3.2% as the RV industry continues to overcome theThe RV Industry Associations September 2020 survey nearly two-month shutdown this Spring due to theof manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended Covid-19 pandemic.the month with 41,509 units, an increase of 31.2% from Park Model RVs finished the month up 0.3% com-the 31,639 units shipped in September 2019. pared to last September with 311 wholesale ship-Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, to- ments.WCM10 -December 2020 Woodalls Campground Management'