9th sphere is a Toronto web design, development and Internet marketing company. They have been in business since 1997.

President and co-founder Ezra Silverton kindly answered our questions about web design, Internet marketing and online reputation management.

- Which are the essential elements of a truly well designed website?

A well designed website is made up of many factors. Essentially it’s a balance between legible content, friendly navigation, a professional creative and imagery, smart marketing and a properly programmed code.

- Your company offers online reputation management services. What’s the worst ORM mistake one can make?

I would say there are two things people often do that make things worse for them. Both are equally bad ORM mistakes. First is the person or company replying to the negative press hatefully. The second is starting a fighting match online where the company starts to post how horrible the other person was or is. Neither are going to get the situation resolved and it will draw more attention to the problem than is necessary.

- Is it essential for all websites to have a mobile design version nowadays? Why?

I would say Yes! I encourage clients to be ahead of the curve. It not only helps to distinguish themselves among competitors, but it also shows their commitment to excellence. Even a simple mobile version of their website—one that just highlights some essentials like the company, services and contact information—is enough. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Just something that’s low on bandwidth and provides a good user experience.

- If you were allowed to make use of only one Internet marketing technique, which would you choose? Why?

Tough question. Its very rare that we would only utilize one Internet marketing tactic. If it had to be one, I would suggest search engine optimization (SEO), simply for the fact that it proves to have the best return when you compare it against the costs of other marketing tactics. SEO tied in with website analytical data provides a very strong vehicle for understanding where to spend future advertising dollars and how to get even better results.

- What are you most proud of about 9th sphere?

Among our 9 awards, the over 11 years in business, our quality standards, the industry leaders we have helped make out of our clients, it all wouldn’t be possible without our team. We have some of greatest people who just have a true passion for providing the best web solutions. We are committed to being the best website solution provider and want to do things properly. Our team ensures that this is accomplished.

Now that you’ve read Ezra Silverton’s interview, here is a couple of links for your bookmark:

9th sphere – Toronto website design and development.

9th sphere’s Blog – Articles on Internet marketing, best practices, web design and more.

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