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Anybody can build a web site, right? Well, to a degree, they can. A lot of the "what you see
is what you get" editors make it quite easy to design a quick site for the world wide web. Some of these Editors work fine, like the server-side Web Editor we now offer. But most generate code that is not usable by search engines. We recommend using a professional designer to design your site and then doing updates on your own, if you feel comfortable doing that. We make it easy with our NEW Web Editor.
It doesn't make sense to spend a lot of time developing a web site that functions
improperly, gives your business a poor image or is unavailable through any large search engine. As a business owner, your time can best be spent
on gathering the information you want to present and then allowing a professional web site designer
to put it all together.
Professional image is a must
We help you choose a color scheme of not more than three colors and then we stay with it. We work
with you to choose colors
that give a sense of what your business does. We use one or two font types on your site and make
sure the size, color, and type are easy to read. We strive for short paragraphs with adequate white
space, sub-headings, dividers and graphics throughout the site. And if your business lends itself
to pictures, it is absolutely critical that good images be included on your site, particularly if
you are asking people to buy something just from looking at it.
By the way, most business sites do not contain a lot of animation or music or anything else
that can irritate a visitor. We use such items sparingly or not at all.
Ease of Navigation Counts
Another major factor in your web site design is the navigational tools on your site. Most
visitors will give up in frustration if they cannot easily find what they are looking for when they
come to your site. That's why we concentrate on easy-to-navigate sites---sites that facilitate
your visitors finding what they want easily and quickly. This should be able to be accomplished
from any page on your site, not just the main page.
Number of pages can vary
A lot of people use the terms web site and web page interchangeably. They are
not the same thing. A web site is normally composed of numerous web pages, sometimes hundreds
of pages. If you take a look at the navigational bar (sidebar) on this page, you can see there are
eight main pages. Under any of those main pages, there may be any number of additional pages. For
example, the heading "Services" may have five additional pages with each page
describing a particular service.
So when you think through how you want your business laid out, you can
estimate how many pages it will take.
The rule of thumb for web design is to keep your pages short. The definition of "short"
however, is very unclear. Personally, I prefer having all information about a topic on one page with a
logical flow to the next topic. We will work with you to develop this logically flow in your site design.
Organization should be logical
The organization of the site itself should be logically laid out for your visitors.
We will suggest a structure for organizing the information you want to present.
You, on the other hand, as the business owner should be able to give us some
direction on how your buyers request things. The way in which
people ask you for something is probably the way they want
to find it on your site.
Written information is not the same as digital
A written brochure provides your web designer with ready information about your business. In most
cases, however, it cannot be coded for a digital application like a web page with the very same
look and layout. Coding requirements for a web page are strict and often restrictive. Decisions
must be made by your designer as the pages are being built so that loading time is minimized and
all coding requirements are met.
Domain names are recommended
Having your own Domain Name is recommended for most web sites. Check out our Services Page to reserve your domain name now. Unique Domain Names aid in name recognition on the web, are more acceptable to
search engines and make it easy
for your customers to remember your address. Prices for domain names have dropped in the last few years. We recommend reserving a domain name for at least 10 years. That way you don't have to worry about losing it or renewing it every year.
However, if you are just starting out and have a
way to host your business site under your personal account, that is a perfectly acceptable way to go when
just entering the world wide web. By not reserving your domain name, you do run the risk of
someone else securing it.
Merchant Accounts are not mandatory
Contrary to common beliefs, you do not need to be able to take credit cards or electronic checks
over the Internet to benefit from a web site. And the same thing is true for shopping carts.
Do these things help? Definitely! But whether you
are in a service business or selling products, you no doubt will be contacting your customers in
some form or fashion anyway. It is at that time that a payment method can be discussed and
worked out.
If you already have a merchant account and your provider does Internet credit cards, it
may be relatively inexpensive to go ahead and set your web site up to handle them. However, you
should not accept credit card information without having your site hosted on a secure server. Hosting
on a secure server entails additional monthly expense.
If you are ready to get started, complete
the FREE Consultation Form and submit
it on line.
If you have questions, click here to send us an e-mail.
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