<font color=blue>INDUSTRY BUZZ</font> Web Site Design Basics

In this day and age, a business simply cannot afford to be without a Web site.  Handing out a business card that doesn’t include a web address is like showing up for a maintenance job without your mower.  You’re at an obvious disadvantage if you don’t have one.

The first step in creating a web site is to determine what its primary function will be.  Web sites can serve a multitude of purposes.  For example, some are used to generate sales, while others are simply created to be informative.  All sites though have the potential to be powerful marketing tools for businesses if they are built correctly.

No matter what you want to achieve with your web site, you must follow some simple design rules in order for it to be effective.  Here are a few tips: 

1. Think Like a Customer
When you begin envisioning your web site, make sure to look at it from the point of view of one of your customers.  You want the site to be designed so that it fulfills their needs as clearly as possible.  To start, you might want to make a list of questions that you think a reader might ask themselves when visiting your site.

Most importantly, you want your home page to answer the question – why should I be interested in this site?  It’s statistically proven that when a reader first sees your web site, you only have a few seconds to convince them to stay and continue exploring it.  Therefore, make sure your home page quickly captures their attention. 

2. Keep it Simple
All too often, businesses will try to jam as much information as possible into their web sites.  This often results in a lot of clutter.  Then, none of the content really stands out to the reader because there’s just so much of it.  You’ve completely defeating the purpose of your web site when this happens. 

The best way to utilize your site is to use short and direct copy that clearly conveys your message.  Avoid excessive wordiness.  Also, do not overload your pages with tons of graphics or other distracting features.  Simplicity is key.

3. Make Navigation Easy
Creating a good flow within your web site is critical.  You want your reader to have no problem finding their way from one page to another.  If the reader has difficultly with navigation, they will most likely get frustrated and prematurely exit the site.
Common mistakes include:  having different types of page links throughout the site, varying where the links are located, and not including links that return readers to the home page.  Make navigating easy by maintaining consistency.  Also, make sure to word links appropriately so that the reader clearly understands what they are clicking on.

4. Keep Them Coming Back
To make the most out of your web site, you need to devise a plan to make your readers want to visit your site more than just once.  You want them to bookmark your site and refer to it often.  There are several different ways you can do this.
The most obvious thing to do is to update your web site regularly.  When you do this, readers will want to check back in order to view the changing content.  Adding a blog to your site is a useful tool for gaining repeat visits.

5. Be Search Engine Friendly
What’s the use of having a web site if nobody knows it exists?  Search engines have the ability to drive large amounts of traffic to your web site.  Make sure you are designing your site so that it is search engine friendly.

While there are several technical ways to do this, one easy way is to populate the content of your pages with relevant key words.  Web sites can also be optimized for search engines within their actual coding by utilizing what’s called meta-tags.

6. Spread the Word
Make the most out of your web site by incorporating some marketing initiatives.  The Internet provides you with a global audience.  You need to make sure that you are taking advantage of that potential.

For example, you could include in your site special discounts and other promotions.  Having contests or competitions are another good idea.  You could also collect e-mail addresses of potential customers by offering a free sign-up for something that interests them, such as weekly lawn maintenance tips, for example. 

Viral marketing is also useful.  Try adding “Send this to a friend” options.  This will allow the reader to e-mail a friend a link to something in your web site they think would be of interest to the recipient.  This word-of-mouth advertising can do wonders for promoting your site. 

By keeping these six guidelines in mind, you should be well on your way to designing a useful and effective web site for your business.

Kregg Kish is president of Frontporch Solutions. To contact him, call 614/449-4353, e-mail k.kish@frontporchsolutions.com or visit www.frontporchsolutions.com.