| Many small companies choose not to invest in a | | | | designed with a purpose. |
| professionally designed Web site, although a | | | | - Reinforces and repeats elements of your brand |
| well-designed Web site may raise the companys level | | | | image, building upon the design of your corporate |
| of professionalism and exposure AND drive business | | | | logo and other materials and repeating up your |
| and sales! Characteristics of a well-designed website | | | | companys message. Consistency of your companys |
| include: | | | | brand is important across all media. |
| - Usability enables your users to get the most out of | | | | - High-quality graphics that are optimized and saved in |
| your site. This means that the sites navigation is | | | | the correct format for their content JPEG format |
| consistent, clear and easy to follow; forms and links | | | | should be used for gradients or photos, and GIF |
| are in working order; and the information on the site | | | | format should be used for images with areas of solid |
| is current and answers incoming clients potential | | | | color. |
| questions. | | | | - Fast loading: Optimizing your graphics and writing |
| - Findable: If people cant find you, then they wont | | | | clean code will ensure that your users only wait a |
| buy from you. Make sure your pages have text | | | | minimal amount of time for the page to come up. If |
| coded in HTML instead of embedded in the graphics, | | | | people dont see your site quickly, theyre more likely |
| so that search engines can read it. Put ALT tags on | | | | to click away from it or not return in the future. |
| the images you do have search engines look at | | | | - Cross-platform compatible: Make sure that your site |
| these, and they can improve your rankings. Include | | | | looks the same on PC and Macintosh systems, and |
| META tags in your code and submit them to at least | | | | on Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla and all the |
| the major search engines. You can do this for free | | | | other browsers that way, youre not missing any of |
| ask me how! Finally, find some directory sites where | | | | your audience! Youll also want to make sure that the |
| your site would be a fit and add your site to those | | | | site looks equally as good in older versions of the |
| directories. This is one more way potential clients can | | | | browsers not everyone updates their browser |
| find your site; having sites linked to your site can also | | | | software when new versions come out. |
| increase your ranking in the search engines. | | | | - Clean code will load fast! Well-written code is also |
| - Legible fonts, sized for easy reading on different | | | | less likely to load incorrectly in different browsers, |
| platforms and browsers. Also, make sure your font is | | | | and it will load faster as well. Clean code will also |
| either significantly lighter or darker in color than your | | | | enable other web designers to pick up the |
| background color or pattern, so that your site is | | | | maintenance of your site easily if you decide to |
| readable for colorblind people, too. If youre using a | | | | transfer those responsibilities to a new designer. |
| background pattern, make sure that it doesnt | | | | A well-designed website works as a qualifying agent |
| interfere with the text. | | | | and also provides information 24/7 about your |
| - Cleanly designed, with graphics that enhance the | | | | business to all your potential clients. It is a vital |
| websites message, instead of detracting from it. This | | | | resource and marketing tool for doing business in |
| applies to animations as well, which should be | | | | todays global marketplace. |