TIPS:
Developing a successful Web site
requires thinking strategically about a few key issues.
First, determine the purpose of the
site. For example, is it a public relations tool, an information clearinghouse, or a
direct channel for selling products?
Next, determine the target audience for
the site. Select a style and tone of writing based on your purpose and audience. Be sure
to use energetic language to catch your readers' attention.
Previously printed brochures, newsletters, and other marketing materials are a great
source of information for your site.
Be sure to select material that is
still relevant to your readers. A Web site can be ideal for displaying information
typically hard for your customers or members to find.
Consider looking at Web sites of
competitors or similar organizations to spark ideas.
One way to organize your content is to separate items that change infrequently from items
that require frequent updating. For example, group together a summary of the organization,
core products or services, and location information separately from new product offerings,
special offers, press releases, and upcoming events.
Organizing information in this way
enables you to easily update sections needing frequent revision and also helps readers
quickly find the information they desire.
Using graphics and photos can add vitality to your site. But keep in mind they require
significantly more memory than text, which means they will take longer to download. When
you've finished creating your site, run the Design Checker to make sure the site downloads
quickly and to catch problems with page design.
Our services are designed to accommodate the needs
of any business or individual seeking an internet solution (on the web) .
Lately, for no reason I can fathom,
several business and individuals have asked my opinion about quotes they received from
vendors to design or host (or both) their Web sites.
In each case, the people asking for a
consultant were suspicious that they were being cheated.
While I never found an instance of what
I'd call a cheat, I never found an instance where these people were getting good value for
the design quote.
Think of a Web designer as nothing more
than a marketing consultant with some technical expertise in one advertising medium.
That may help you sort out what you
want the Web designer to do for you. Frankly, I think you should learn as much about
WWW site development as you can-its amazing what you can do with FrontPage and very little
else in the way of technical knowledge.
Even if you go ahead and hire a Web
designer; you would do well to have a good working knowledge of your site as well-you
should at least shoot for being able to maintain and update your own site.
If you contract for a Web site design,
you are contracting for creativity. You can't necessarily compare value from one
designer to another, or even ask for equally comparative quotes per page or even per Web
element (like a link).
When you are looking for a WWW
designer, look for a list of their ten most representative sites, and go check them out
yourself.
Beyond that, contact a WWW site and see
what they think of the support they received from the designer.
Before moving on, let me state that I
don't think it is possible to over-or under-charge for services and products that include
creative elements.
There is no fair market value for items
like an oil painting, a custom wedding dress, a scenic photograph or a musical
composition, to name a few.
The reason is that there is no way to
assess value on artistry outside the open market.
Web Designs provides an appealing Web
site that fits your product or service.
Similarly, you can design your own Web
site-especially if all you are doing is a banner site.
A banner site is a site that has text,
graphics, links, and maybe even a multimedia as in a movie.
Think of it as an online publication
with information moving from the site to a person surfing on the Web. It can also
contain simple e-mail links with no more effort.
While you can theoretically use a
modern word processor like WordPerfect or Word to design a site, you'd be miles ahead by
investing in a simple Web design program.
You can get a single page banner Web
site up in matter of minutes. If you do this yourself, you'll also need to rent some
server space from an Independent Service Provider (ISP).
Your ISP will give you instructions of
how to upload (post) your site from your local computer to the internet.
There are areas where it pays to
hire a professional. For instance, what if you wish to create a secure site selling
merchandise via credit cards.
You can buy Cold Fusion (by Allaire)
and do it yourself with the cooperation of your ISP (who must run Cold Fusion Server), or
use another similar scheme like PERL scripts, but this is a trust area where you'll need
specialized knowledge (like credit card verification) before you even begin.
Some ISP's will rent you a market
basket section where, for a responsible fee (quite cheap, really) you can rent a common
secure order center.
You owe it to yourself to explore this
option if so offered from your ISP. However, if you have a hankering to be the next
Amazon.com or Priceline.com, hire a contractor.
I am not against professional Web
designers nor do I wish to discourage you from hiring one to create your site.
But if you're the type that photographs
your child's parties instead of hiring a photographer, you may have what it takes to build
your own successful Web site.
The design should reflect the image of what you are
trying to project to the people you want to attract to your product or service.
Clients are unique with their own characteristics and desires.
Please read the following links for more information on:
Credit
Cards
Ecommerce
Security
Why
you need a Website
E-mail
us to answer any questions you might have regarding our services
Sincerely,
Web Design Team
