6 Tips for Better Web Design

Anyone can make a website, but not everyone can make a website
that works. Fun as it may seem, web design isn’t all about
choosing fancy colors  and creating flashy graphics.
It comes with its own set of rules. After all, web users are
different from TV viewers and newspaper readers for one thing,
they’re much more flighty, unpredictable, and harder to keep interested.

If you want your website to do its job (i.e., draw in customers),
you  should  put  a little more thought into web design.

Here are some things to keep in mind.

 Use graphics.

Studies show that pictures, not text or headlines, are the first
things people notice when they look at a page. Typically, a viewer
will look at the picture first, then read the caption, then read
the accompanying article.
A page with nothing but black-and-white type will turn off viewers.
Break up those big blocks of text with interesting pictures and add
a catchy caption to make your page more appealing.

  Keep your files small.

Unlike pictures on print, web images don’t need to be
of high quality in order to be published. In fact,
high-resolution images are discouraged because they take
time to load and eat up your site’s bandwidth.
Instead of uploading a resized 10-megapixel picture, make
a smaller version with a photo editor and upload it instead.
If you think a full view is absolutely necessary, make the
thumbnail a hyperlink to the full-res image.

 Make your site navigable.

Web readers are impatient. Unless they’re really interested,
they won’t take the extra five seconds to find the Next button
and read the rest of the page.
Make life easier for them by making all your controls accessible.
Keep a static menu bar on the top or side of your page.
This way, they can simply go back to the home page if they
lose their way around.

 Use simple layouts.

When you’re new to web design, it’s fun to try out new styles
such as side scrolling, multiple frames, and complex tables.
They may be cute for a personal blog, but not for a corporate site.
Stick to tried-and-tested layouts that have worked for a dozen
other sites.
Two- to three-column layouts are the most effective. They may
not be original, but the reason they’re so popular is
because they work.

 Less is more.

Avoid animated graphics, marquees, blinking text, and anything
too flashy. They take attention away from your site content
and make it look unprofessional. Also, try not to cram too
much material into the page. The recommended ‘weight’ is one
to three main blocks of text per page and a few well-chosen
pictures, plus the menu and hyperlinks.
If you have a lot to say, put them on a separate page and link
to them on your front page.

 Do browser tests.

Don’t assume that a site that works on your browser will look
the same on others. To ensure compatibility, avoid features
that require browser plug-ins, such as Flash animations and
Java programs. Before going live, test your site on all versions
of the most common browsers.

Web Marketing Tips

7 Web Marketing Tips

If you think web marketing is only for online businesses, think again. The Internet has become the new marketplace, and that applies to online and offline businesses alike. In fact, web marketing accounts for over 50% of sales revenue for the average business, and the figures keep growing as we speak. No matter how good your products are, or how much you spend on mainstream advertising, you can’t maximize your publicity potential without a strong web presence.

But web marketing can be expensive and time-consuming. You want to make sure your time and money will be worth it. Here are seven ways to make web marketing work for you.

1. Have a website. Even if you don’t do business online, a corporate website helps users learn more about your company. People turn to the Web for practically everything, and if they don’t find you there, you might as well be invisible. At the very least, a website tells your customers that you’re stable enough to invest in a web site, no matter how basic.

2. Choose a good domain name. Your domain name is the address that someone types in to reach your site (such as “http://www.yourcompany.com”). A good domain name is easy to remember no complex spellings or number codes and directly refers to your site. Your brand name is the most obvious choice, but there’s a good chance it’s already taken. If that’s the case, try using a different top-level domain (such as .biz or .net) or separating words with hyphens.

3. Know your clients. This may sound cliché, but it’s more overlooked than you might think. A lot of companies spend millions of dollars marketing to the wrong people or giving the wrong marketing message. Invest in good market research. Find out which sectors you most apply to and what they like most about your company (your service, your product quality, etc) and stress that in your campaigns.

4. Be consistent. Web marketing isn’t an entirely new marketing strategy; it’s only an extension of you current one. Make sure your online and offline identities are the same. You don’t want to confuse people by using one logo offline and another online. Use the same color scheme, message, and images as you do in your other marketing projects.

5. Be accessible. Even if you do all your transactions online, people will want concrete evidence that you’re a legitimate company. Always provide offline contact information such as a phone number, fax number, and street address. Make sure there’s always someone to answer calls in case an online customer wants to verify.

6. Use search engines. Thirty years ago, people looked at he yellow pages for information; these days, they go to Google. Search engines account for about 75% of your website traffic. If you don’t show up on the first page or two, you’re missing the bulk of your target market. Look for a good search engine optimization (SEO) service provider to see how you can make your site rank higher.

7. Outsource. Not all companies can afford an in-house designer, programmer, and copywriter. Don’t try to do everything yourself. If writing isn’t exactly your strong suit, consider outsourcing your web content and marketing copy. Not only does it ensure better results, it also helps you save overhead costs.

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