Importance of Good Website Design Posted by admin // January 22, 2013 // Nowadays it seems like just about anyone can build a website- or at least publish one. All one really needs is a computer and access to sites like Wix, 1and1, Dream Template or Template Monster. Sure, it's quick, easy, cheap or free. But just how effective are those options? Do you have the time and knowledge to customize a template? Before you decide to opt for one of those free website services, or before you purchase a template you must first ask yourself if you will be able to customize your free site or template to make it consistent with your company brand/image. If you are able to customize it, does it require in depth knowledge of HTML coding or does it require image editing software like Photoshop in order to truly customize it? If your options are limited, are you ok with having a website that is merely a cookie cutter website that may or may not be consistent with your brand and one that looks like someone elses website? You have to remember, anyone else, including your competition, has access to these templates, so if sticking out from the competition is not important to you, then this may be a rather inexpensive option for you. If the customization process requires you to learn HTML or other web languages, then it defeats the purpose, unless you are looking to go into the website development business then the time it will take you to learn how to code properly could go into something else, like, let's say- running your existing business. So what exactly do we mean by "effective" when we talk about website design? First things first- brand consistency and standing out from the competition. Your business website shouldconvey your business image effectively from color scheme to personality, stray too far and your brand starts becoming less than memorable. Aside from brand consistency, the layout must be easy on the eyes. Proper use of negative, or white space, is imperative in order to guide your visitors eyes where you want them. This could be anything fromCall To Action buttons, side navigation menus to company contact information. Layout and navigation go hand in hand as well. You want your visitors to effortlessly go from one page to the next and then back to where they came from without confusing them. Inconsistent navigation and too much clutter on your web pages will drive away traffic instead of welcoming it. "E-commerce Websites should sell;Information Websites should tell."Design and Functionality The design elements are just as important as the functional elements of your site. Every website should have a purpose; e-commerce websites should sell, information websites should tell. This may require some tweaking and testing but in the end, your website must effectively do what you want it to. Aside from being able to fulfill it's purpose, it must also be cross browser compatible and work effectively in Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, etc. With the widespread usage of mobile devices and tablets, your site should also be mobile and tablet friendly. In the end, a well designed, functional website should abide by W3C standards, you can easily test your website for errors by entering your site's URL into the W3C Validator found here: http://validator.w3.org/. "Websites should do morethan just look "pretty." Seriously." Don't just focus on making your Website "pretty," focus on making it functional as well. Download our FREE Website (Re)Design Guide and learn about the importance of functonality: Learn how to: Lay out your homepage properly Turn site visitors into leads Effectively use of landing pages Attract website traffic through fresh content creation And more!
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