Need a website? What’s your focus?
October 8, 2009Anyone looking to start a brand new website should consider what’s involved in producing it …
First Essential Thought
Regardless of what you do, always do it with consideration to the person who will be using it. In the case of your website, create it with the site visitor in mind.
The Web Design
Okay, so when someone visits your new website, you want them to be impressed by the way it looks. Their first impression of how your site looks can make or break their interest so it’s important to get your design right.
Your design should …
- be appealing
- reflect your market
- compliment your product
- support your company profile
Picking a Designer
There are lots of designers offering services at a range of prices and at different levels of quality but here are a few things to consider when selecting one.
Your designer should …
- be someone who you feel comfortable working with
- be available at the end of the telephone when you need them
- be available to meet face to face should you want to
- have a portfolio of previous work
- provide a clear, easy to understand quotation for the project
- work to within the agreed price and timescale
Building the Site
When you have a design that you’re happy with, the next step is to have it turned into a working website. We recommend that all the same elements of picking a designer should go into selecting a person to build your site but with some additional criteria.
Your website should …
- be 100% cross browser compatible
- ideally be hand built by a professional
- not use an off-the-shelf script that limits functionality
- allow you to edit every key part of the site content and images
Website Content
When you’ve had your website built, you’ll want to start filling the pages with new content. Whilst the design of your website is the first impression a visitor gets, the content of your website is the enduring message they take away. When writing your content, be aware that people don’t read websites, they scan them.
Your content should …
- qet your message across quickly
- use headlines and subtitles and bold text
- avoid fluffy words that dilute the real message
- be written with your customer in mind
Website Usability
One of the biggest issues facing any online business is how to make the website easy to use. Whilst the design and build may be great, if there has been no thought to usability then the return on your effort could be minimal.
Your website should …
- use the same navigation principles throughout
- have clear ‘call to action’ / ‘what next’ buttons
- always provide a link back to the home page
- use clearly recognisable buttons and link styling
- provide a breadcrumb trail to show the user where they are
- display your contact details with a valid phone number
Don’t Forget Your Host
It’s always surprising that people are willing to spend money on their web design but not on their web hosting. The design is important but it’s the hosting service that delivers your site to the world. Why would you want to cut costs on the most important part of the project? A good hosting service is a must have for any business that’s serious about projecting a quality image online.
Your host provider should …
- host your website on servers that are in the same country as you
- provide a 100% uptime service (or as near as possible)
- have a proven history of being a stable company
- provide telephone support in a timely manner
Website Visitors’ Perspective
When a person visits your website, the thought process and considerations go something like this …
- how quickly does it load?
- what does it look like?
- what does it sound like?
- what do I do next?
If your website fails to answer any of these questions to the visitors satisfaction then you’ve not only lost their interest but also their business. Remember, the competition is only a click away!
About The Author
This article was written by Poldings Ltd who have provided web hosting, web design and web development services to UK customers since 2001. Visit us online at …