web site design services

The design of your website works hand in hand with your content. When your site is well designed and well structured, the visitor may make no notice of its elements, except for a pleasing and easy to use site. In such instance, your design has accomplished its goal. When a site is poorly designed, however, your visitors will scarcely notice your content because they are trying to comprehend your site's layout, structure, design and navigation.

website design that sells

Make your site easy for your visitors to view and understand with:

• simple to use navigation; duplicate navigation options such as buttons and text links (for instance include text links at the bottom of your page for users of non-graphical browsers; site map providing your visitor an understanding of the layout and content of your site
• complimentary color schemes - select colors that work well together to provide emphasis as needed, without being overdone. If you wouldn't put a color combination in your living room, don't put it on your website
• consistency - use the same fonts, colors and backgrounds throughout your site, don't change styles from one page to the next; likewise, don't change your navigation methods from one page to the next
• don't mix more than 2 fonts on a page, and make text links obvious by using a contrasting color and underline them
• white or light colored background combined with dark brown, gray or black text for the main content area of your pages is still the easiest for your visitors to read, and you do want your visitors to actually read what you have to say, right?
• pictures and graphics that will load quickly - some of your visitors may be using a high-speed internet connection, but the majority will be using dial-up. Pictures and graphics can enhance your site, but should not be overused. The pictures and graphics you do use should be optimized to speed up their download time. If a customer has to wait a long time for a page to load in their browser, they will give up and go elsewhere
• professional looking graphics and pictures - pictures that look amateurish make your site look and feel amateurish
• avoid plug-in technologies when possible - if a visitor must download a plug-in just to view your site, they probably won't. If you absolutely have to have a flash site, be prepared to pay your designer to also design an alternative html-only site as well. Your website designer can include a page with links to one option or the other, or a script that will detect if the visitor has the plug-in(s) necessary to view the Flash version
• if you absolutely have to include sound on your page when it loads, make sure you include an "off" button for visitors to turn it off
• just because there is some very cool technology that can enable you to have snowflakes falling across your page in the winter or autumn leaves in the fall, or a mousetrail that follows your mouse pointer wherever you move it across the web page, doesn't mean you have to have it.

When you are working with your website designer, you should keep these simple concepts in mind. If you want to include elements that go against the very basic principles of style and design, or, worse, your designer wants to, keep asking yourself - "If we add this to my site, will it enhance my message or detract from it?" If the answer is detract from your message, lose the special effects.

On the right-hand side are links to pages with more detailed information about effectively using your website as a marketing tool to build and grow your business. Please read on for more information, or contact us any time by phone, fax or email for more information.