Just another web design blog.

So you are ready for a website?  But where do you begin?  There is no shortage of web design companies, freelancers, or even friends who claim to be able to build your website… and most can.  Sadly however, few take the time to educate you on important issues every web client should know before entering into a web design/development contract.  In an effort to help you get the most out of the time and money you are about to invest, we put together a list of things we feel every web client should know.

1. You Get What You Pay For
   Do a search for website design on google and you will find no shortage of options and prices.  So how do you figure out what is right for you and ensure that your money is not being wasted?  First, be wary of template users and low budget marketing companies.  Even though you might get a website up and running cheap and quick you must remember that many times the first impression your customers get is from your website.  Not only does your site need to represent quality but most importantly guide users to a “call to action.”

   This is where website strategy comes into play.  Successful design firms recognize this important fact and take the necessary time to learn not only who you are but who your audience is and how to best present your message.  Sure… you can save a few bucks hiring the kid next door but without a proper strategy, design, content, and marketing plan, your few bucks will have only bought you an online trophy.  Your website is much more than that… it is an investment into your business.  And the purpose of this investment is to yield real results.  Results which equate into income.  For this to be a reality you must start to view your website as an investment.

2. Designing A Good Website Takes Time
   The internet is full of dead websites that are either: (1) Too confusing;  (2) Ugly or unorganized; (3) Poorly coded and not built with all computers/browsers in mind; (4) Have nothing to offer the user with regards to helpful information; (5) Lost in the internet due to lack of marketing and search engine optimization (SEO); (6) All of the above.  A successful website takes time; time to strategize, time to design, time to develop (both code and content), and most importantly… time to market.  Spending the necessary time is a must for developing an effective website.

   Keep in mind that depending on what your design firm offers, not all time spent on your website is entirely left up to them.  Many firms can design quality sites and understand how to build them clean with search engines in mind, but only the best offer website strategy, quality copywriting, and continual online marketing.  Depending on who you choose to go with, many of these tasks may be yours to fulfill.

3. Websites Are For Your Visitors
   Your business is growing and we understand that you are proud of what you have accomplished.  Deciding to build or redesign your website will now give you a chance for you to show everything you have done and reach millions on potential new clients.  It is paramount to not fall into the trap of forgetting your audience.  Remember that your users must be the focus.  Again, this is where proper strategy comes into play.  This is not only important to determine your users needs but also to develop a website that has a clean and effective user experience (UX).  Keeping your strategy focused and determined to reach out to your visitors will help you with creating effective content and remember… online, content is king.
4. Give Visitors A Reason To Return
   Having a beautiful website utilizing the latest and greatest technology can be exciting but without regular updated content your visitors will not return.  Though this is a simple concept, sadly many websites fall prey to forgetting this key fact.  Remember, your users are the focus and keeping their interest is extremely important.  This requires fresh content which allows you to keep your message loud and on the forefront of their minds.  They say it takes the average user seven times to remember something.  You must always strive to be creative and find new ways to encourage return visitors in an effort to reinforce your message.
5. Don’t Write A Novel
   While content is king and developing new content creates return visitors, it is important to not bog down your visitors with too much.  With the pace of the world today you have less and less time to catch your users attention.  Be concise, be clear, and convey your message with an end goal.  The key is guiding your users’ focus toward your clearly thought out “call to action.”  Remember, your website is an investment and to see the return on that investment requires your visitors’ attention to be focused on interacting with you.  Now matter how great you might think your content is, if your users become lost in the weeds you are only hurting your bottom line.
6. Websites Do Not Look The Same On Every Computer
   Most clients are surprised to learn (or may never learn) that websites do not look the same on every computer.  Just like there are many choices of computer systems running different hardware and operating systems, there are also many options of web browsers.  With all these different variables it is practically impossible to develop a website that looks and operates exactly the same on every machine.  This is where intelligent website development comes into play.  A talented design firm with a proper understanding of current technology knows how to build sites that not only take advantage of newer concepts but also degrade cleanly on older systems.

   Even though things might not be exactly the same on every machine, it is possible to develop websites with every system in mind.  Knowing what you can and cannot do and how to develop proper code takes years of experience along with time dedicated to testing and debugging.  If you value the investment you are about to make, it is important to ensure that your web firm has a clear understanding of how to build an intelligent and clean coded website.

7. The End Is Just The Beginning
   So your website is launched.  Now what?  Pat yourself on the back, take a deep breath and prepare yourself for the real work.  Success comes with time.  Even though you have a clean coded website with attractive content that has been developed with search engines in mind your job is not done.  Your website has just been born into a huge online world and will drown without proper care.  You must view your website as a living, breathing organism which needs nurturing to grow.  This is done by testing and measuring results, improving and developing new content while following through with your original marketing plan and integrating new and viral strategies as you track your progress.

Ok, so maybe there is a lot more to having a successful website than you originally thought but don’ t get discouraged.  If you keep these things in mind, you will soon be reaping the benefits of having made a sound investment.  Here at noBox Creative our goal is not only to develop high quality and successful web solutions, but also to help educate and encourage improved online practices.  If you have questions or would like to discuss your online needs please contact us.

Tags: client, design, website

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 15:33 and is filed under Website Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.