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: Do not build a slow site. In the modern world, people are used to getting what they want and getting it quickly. If your site takes too long to load, then chances are they are going to navigate away ... then over to your competitor's place.
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: Don't be tacky. Some movement is OK, and sometimes background music is OK, but no one wants to watch neon billboards and listen to music they hate. Keep motion (like blinking words) to a reasonable level and pick songs that fit your audience.
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: Webmasters are the key. If you don't hire a talented webmaster, your site is doomed. Hire someone who is a good fit for your product and whatever presence you plan on having and while not every webmaster can know everything, make sure yours knows exactly how your web site works and how to fix it. Believe it every web site goes down eventually, and a good webmaster can make sure your site isn't down for the count.
Custom web design comes down to, once and for all, good design principles. Play by the rules, and you'll have an inexpensive but customizable site within your budget and appealing to your core audience. Plan ahead, and you'll have great results.
Rule #1: Do not build a slow site. In the modern world, people are used to getting what they want and getting it quickly. If your site takes too long to load, then chances are they are going to navigate away ... then over to your competitor's place.
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: Don't be tacky. Some movement is OK, and sometimes background music is OK, but no one wants to watch neon billboards and listen to music they hate. Keep motion (like blinking words) to a reasonable level and pick songs that fit your audience.
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: Webmasters are the key. If you don't hire a talented webmaster, your site is doomed. Hire someone who is a good fit for your product and whatever presence you plan on having and while not every webmaster can know everything, make sure yours knows exactly how your web site works and how to fix it. Believe it every web site goes down eventually, and a good webmaster can make sure your site isn't down for the count.
Custom web design comes down to, once and for all, good design principles. Play by the rules, and you'll have an inexpensive but customizable site within your budget and appealing to your core audience. Plan ahead, and you'll have great results.
About the Author:
Stephen Grisham, Sr. is a Staff Writer for InfoServe Media, a Houston Web hosting company that provides custom web design. Visit today, or call 1 (800) 838-2203 for a free quote.
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