There's an old adage; "If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself." But when it comes to web site design and development, that line of thinking is about as useful in getting your site running as an electric typewriter would be. But how do you know when it's time to turn to the pros for help with your layout? And what should you know ahead of time that can insure that your company's money is being used intelligently?
Ask yourself; would you like your website to look and work better? Do you want more traffic and the ability to retain that traffic? Assuming that the answer is a resounding "Yes!" these goals can be accomplished by designing a site that appeals to both first-time visitors and repeat viewers alike. So what should you have in mind as you get started?
You can't address your customers' online needs without having a strong idea of what those needs are. Finding your target audience is the first step, but an even bigger step is determining what customers actually need from your site. Are they browsing for products? Looking for tips, recipes, or archives? Or are they trying to get news that is time-sensitive and/or frequently dynamic in nature? All of these answers will help you determine how your customers are visiting your site, and can help you develop a site with the right pace. Customers with a sense of urgency don't want to be bogged down with special effects, crazy page transitions, or hard to find material. Broadband technology allows your customers to view your site at high speeds, make sure that your site is providing them with the same luxury. Multimedia items like video clips, slideshows, and streaming audio all allow your customers to multi-task rather than sifting through text. These types of alternatives also give you a level of descriptiveness and space saving that you can't get with text-driven articles.
Conversely, if the nature of your business encourages browsing, you don't want to overwhelm customers that want to take their time or learn a little more before making a purchase. In this instance, you may want to use more text than video for your articles, but use a storytelling element to your information that draws the reader into the body of what you're trying to tell them. You can also incorporate pictures, charts, and graphs for a little bit of visual variety while still providing a static image that allows the user to move at their own pace.
No matter which of these styles you provide, the prevailing theme should always address your target audiences' needs, giving them what they need as opposed to giving them what you want them to have. Here are a few important keys that can keep your site from becoming obsolete:
- Keep your navigation simple and useful. Use the same page structure throughout your site to store information. You're spending time and money to broadcast your business, don't hide the information from potential customers.
- Make sure that your color scheme reflects your business image. Remember that you're presenting yourself via the internet in the same way that you would during a sales call. If you wouldn't wear a rainbow colored suit to a cold call, spare your new viewers the myriad of effects and fonts that are available for web site designs. Remember, show them what they need and not what you want them to have. Let the product stand out, not the page.
Once you've determined what your customers need, you're ready to bring this information to your web design team and have a better understanding of what you want them to do for you. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be able to provide your web pro with the right vision and directive to get the most out of your site.
Leave a comment