Secrets of Effective Website design and Web Page Graphics
Your website should be one of the most powerful pieces of your marketing strategy. An effective website design instantly communicates who you are, what you offer and what's unique about your business.
Since your website instantly launches you into the international marketplace, it's essential to consider a few key ingredients - before you begin!
Here's what works:
1. Flaunt Your Brand You and your web designer need to know what distinguishes you from the herd. What's the main impression you'd like to make? What kind of experience do you want your visitors to have?
The visual impact of the web page graphics should harmonize with the tone of the text. This creates a cohesive look & feel. And that inspires trust and confidence. Do you want to be known as being service-oriented, amusing, top-of-the-line or the fastest turnaround artist in town? You can't be all things to all people so don't even try.
A simple and uncluttered site with a clear message woven through every page will make the strongest impression. Less is more with web design. If your visitor isn't clear who you are, what you're selling and what you promise to deliver within 10-12 seconds, you've probably lost them.
If you don't have a professionally designed brand, you should consider investing in creating that before you proceed. The world doesn't need another bland and anonymous looking website. There are millions of those already out there. And they aren't bringing in any money for their owners.
2. Find A Niche & Fill It Do your homework before jumping into a web design project. This is true of a redesign as well. Find out as much as possible about the current state of your website by analyzing web traffic data and feedback from users. Learn about your target audiences' needs and expectations. What is their biggest problem and how do you plan to solve that for them?
You need to be very clear about your target audience. Hire an expert to do keyword research and analysis. Make sure there is a thirsty crowd for what you plan to offer. If not, you'd better find another niche- unless you don't need to make money!
An effective website design resonates with your ideal clients. These are the kind of people who you want to do business with, as well as the ones who want to do business with you. This makes for satisfying, long-term business relationships.
3. Optimize, Optimize, Optimize Finally, make sure your web designer understands search optimization. Many small businesses make the mistake of designing their website and then start thinking about driving traffic to it. The problem is that the way you design your site can result in your site being ignored by the search engine spiders, meaning you will receive very little traffic. (It is estimated that for a typical site, 80% of web traffic tends to come from search engines).
When designing your site, improve your SEO (search engine optimization) performance by ensuring you avoid the certain pitfalls. Ask your designer why you should avoided using flash, frames, dynamic pages, and text inside web page graphics. If they cannot give you clear, decisive reasons for why these impede SEO- move on!
Not happy with Your Web Designer: All Flash with no meat, or fair functionality with darned ugly design? I've been designing websites for more than a few years. I know how to build sites that attract visitors and search engines. I am a creative artist who also understands the intricacies of internet marketing. I create sites that:
- celebrate your brand promise
- are easy to navigate
- attract your ideal clients
Yes, having an internet presence is an essential tool for your business. But it must resonate with "your people" and motivate them to take action.
It is my desire to create a site that meets your current business needs and has the capability to expand with you for years to come. I specialize in effective website design for entrepreneurs, artists, coaches and consultants. I would love to connect with you personally at 916.600.7917 to discuss your website and web page graphic needs.
