Web Design Tips

Audience: Your website should suit your target audience. Your website should take your audience into consideration in terms of look and feel, e.g. If your website sold Barbie dolls, colours such as pink and cartoon style fonts could be used. Some animation on the website would make the whole thing sparkle with magic. Dark colours with formal fonts would not be the way to go.

Purpose: Your website should serve its purpose, i.e. sell products, attract new clients etc. Just by having a website does not mean that it will work. Websites are complicated and getting the formula right is also complicated. Its not as simple as slapping your content over a web page and sitting back while the money rolls in (If only!). For example, a Formula One car is a finely tuned piece of engineering with teams working behind the scenes to make it successful. The principle is the same with your website. You cannot race a Ford Mondeo in an F1 race just because it’s a car! Your website is the same, i.e. just because it’s a website does not mean it will not perform well against other websites that have teams behind them.

Navigation: Navigation should be clear, easy to understand and above all helpful. The navigation is not just the main menu, its how the user will interact with the website. Your website should enable your audience to find what they want easily and quickly.

Content: Arguably the most important part of your website. Content should be easy to read, comprehensive and structured. Your website will not perform well if you have not considered the basics.

Interaction: How is the user supposed to know what information you have got? by giving them an easy way to access it. The links that make up your website will decide how successful your user will be in getting what they are looking for.

Design: If a client walks past a shop with the sign falling down and the shop front in tatters, they are not going to want to visit the shop. The same applies to your website. Users are fussy on the web, you do not even have 5 seconds attract them. This means that looks are crucial. The design will enable your content to be structured and laid out nicely. The design will give your company a good representation. If your website is not a good design then users will not spend money with you.

Technology: There are many different types of technology that can be used in your website. Your website should suit its purpose and use the most appropriate technology to enable that to happen. Today’s internet is a dying breed, tomorrows internet is upon us and your competitors will be buying website that use the very latest technologies to woo your audience.

The law: There are laws in place for your website and how your website operates. Accessibility is important, i.e. making sure that everyone can access the websites information. Standards are set to make sure that users can access everything on a website with ease and also to ensure that websites coding complies. This ensures more consistency in website functionally. Does your website comply with the law? Click here and find out within seconds! (Type in your web address and press 'Check')

Making money: Your website can make money through advertising, selling products or selling services…or all 3!

Advertising: The internet is full of companies that will pay you money to advertise on your website. There are many ways of doing this. The more traffic and clicks your get, the more money you make.

Selling Products: More and more money is being spent over the internet the figures are mind boggling, i.e. billions and billions! Companies that sell products have to stake their share on the internet, also the way in which the products are organised and sold is crucial. Get this right and you really can sit back and watch the money roll in.

Selling Services: By advertising your services through your website, you can attract more sales. Theses sales can be local, national or international according to your service. There are 2 key issues that have to be addressed; 1. Persuading users that your service is the best? 2. Get as many users clicking onto your website as possible.