Archive for the ‘Small Business’ Category

Ten Tips for Building A Better Web Site

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Are you considering updating your business’ web site? What’s that you say…you still don’t HAVE a site for your business? Whether you’re planning a re-launch or a brand new site, here are some things to consider to create a better experience for visitors and a more successful web presence for your business.

Identify What Your Site Will Need

Structure and Appearance

Visit competitors’ sites and browse sites that visually appeal to you for ideas.

Functionality

Decide what functionality you would like your site to have. Forms, shopping carts, analytics, etc. ideally should be incorporated into your site at the outset.

Graphics

Will any graphics need to be specifically created for your site? Do you have files available for your logo and any other existing graphics you will need?

Keywords and Search Engines

Think about what keywords people might use to search for your product or service. Sites like wordtracker.com provide information for search engine optimization. Use their free trial for an idea of how appropriate keywords will work with search engines. These words should be incorporated into your content and your page titles.

Maintenance

With a Content Management System, you can make content changes to the site yourself rather than relying on the designer to make changes.

Web Site Dos and Don’ts

  • The most effective web design is one that utilizes quality content as a foundation. A beautiful-looking web site can only do so much if the content is not relevant or well-written.
  • DO provide an intuitive and consistent interface. Visitors shouldn’t have to guess how to navigate through the pages of a website. If you doubt it, check out this site for Sprint.
  • DO make your information easily accessible. Organize content into logical pages that are easily identifiable. Many visitors will get discouraged and leave if they can’t find specific information for which they are looking. Visit this site for Dell Laptops and see how long it takes to find useful information.
  • DO Minimize Clicks. Create a chain between the user and the information on your website in as few clicks as possible. See Bow-WowBooks as an example of what not to do.
  • DON’T use an “Enter Site” link or a Flash intro page that makes a visitor work to get to the heart of your site. Many viewers won’t even bother clicking the link, instead navigating to another site. And, aside for user experience, Flash does not play well with search engines! To get a flavor of this type of frustration, visit jones, partners: architecture.
  • DON’T use distracting animation, graphics or sound. Excessive Flash animations, animated GIFs, blinking text, music, etc. contribute to an unprofessional look. If you don’t believe it, check out this extreme example at Fabric Land.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Small Business, Web Design, marketing | 4 Comments »

Cookie Cutters are for Baking, NOT for Web Sites

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

cookie-cutters

Recently I was asked to review the existing web site of a potential client. It was built using a free site template from a major business software provider, and it had all the tell-tale signs…generic graphics and an unsophisticated layout, a restrictive and bland content area…in other words, it could have been any site for any company and was completely unmemorable.

Worst of all, the site had no search engine visibility! Because of the numerous search engine optimization faux pas I discovered in the coding, I was not at all surprised by the business owner’s complaint that no one could find them on the web. Web site templates can be based on outdated code and standards and not built for web accessibility, W3C compliance or cross-browser compatibility.

Further investigation into the “free” website service revealed that users are locked into hosting on the software company’s servers only, e-mail is extra, and should a site grow to more than 5 pages, then additional costs begin to add up dramatically. The bottom line is, the benefits of the free website were skewed toward the software company and not the small business.

In contrast, a custom-designed web site is designed and built around a business’ particular brand and it’s personality, taking into account the purpose and audience of the site. It provides a company with the unique visual appeal that their customers want to see and will respond to. A custom site offers flexibility to incorporate the functionality that the business will need to keep their site growing, useful and productive for years to come. When site issues arise, a client can call their web designer for support. How responsive do you think support for a free site will be, and what are the chances you will speak to the same person every time you call?

Recently, this software company has been running TV ads touting the benefits of using their free site design tools over hiring a professional, alluding that web site designers are unreliable, over-priced and slow. I imagine there are such designers out there,  the same as in every industry, but I know there are many more who will do a wonderful job for you at a fair price and in a timely manner. My blog entry on “How To Hire the Right Designer for You” will give you tips on how to hire wisely.

Even for small sites, custom web site design is really the best option. A cookie-cutter site will never make a business  stand out from its competitors. If a site looks generic and cheap, then so does the business it represents.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Corporate Identity, Creativity, SEO, Small Business, Web Design, design | 1 Comment »