Sunday, December 21, 2008

Custom Web Design: It's For Your Customers!

By Stephen Grisham, Sr.

You aren't the one who needs to be impressed by your web site. You're trying to sell your products to people you don't even know. When working on your web site, put the customer first. Here's six rules to follow.

Rule #1: Make your site fast. People have broadband for a reason, so if your site takes forever to load, they're going to seek their business elsewhere. Make sure your page is simple enough to load in an instant. This way, they won't leave out of boredom.

Rule #2: Don't make users download anything. Sure, ActiveX and other technologies can do amazing things but they're a pain to install, and open up users to viruses or other bad things. HTML is powerful enough to do whatever you need it to.

Rule #3: Be classy. This means no annoying MIDI music, no animated GIFs, and definitely no blinking text. If you want customers to see you as a trustworthy source, you need to exemplify class in your web site. Nothing turns people off more than tackiness.

Rule #4: Don't "Do-it-yourself" on a business page. If you are building a personal page and learning to create your own HTML code, then that's OK, but if you want professional results then go for professional custom web design. Like it or not, businesses are judged by their storefronts, and if your electronic storefront looks junky, you are going to turn off potential customers.

Rule #5: Know who you're selling to. Everyone's product appeals to a different demographic. Learn what yours is, then tailor your web image to those people. Grandmothers are interested in different imagery than kids, obviously, and middle-aged hunters something else entirely.

Rule #6: Hire the most talented webmaster you can. Talented does not mean the person knows the most, but it does mean the person is a good fit. Make sure that your webmaster can fix everything on your page, because whether you want to think about it or not, your website will go down at some point.

Custom web design is all about good design. The same principles come into play be it on paper, in a building, or on the web. By following these important rules, you can be sure to develop a web site that draws in and maintains the best audiences and customers. - 16069

About the Author: