| We've all heard it said, "A
picture is worth a thousand words."
The web is a visual world, and the look and design of a
website is essential in not only attracting customers, but
in keeping them. Statistics prove that you
have less than 2 seconds to capture the attention of a
visitor to your website before they continue surfing.
You must provide information about the products or
services you offer in a captivating, easy to use interface
that won’t frustrate your customers or force them to
your competitors.
There are a host of highly popular graphic design
software packages. You might think it cost effective
to design your own web site, until you factor in the time
it will take you to learn the software, and the profound
loss of sales opportunities that will arise when the end
product can't compete with the competitor who hired a pro.
There is simply no getting around the fact that good web
design, like anything of value, is worth paying for if you
want your site to be something that stands apart from the
crowd and gives your business the window it deserves.
Beware though; a good graphic designer may not know web
design, as designing for print is very different to
designing for the Web.
As well as basic considerations of consistent branding,
appropriate use of colors and images, accurately giving
emphasis to your primary message and successfully
promoting your desired navigation path, a good web
designer will be familiar with:
- How Internet technologies can be incorporated into
the design to best effect
- Coding restrictions that might determine how the
layout can be presented or how the text can be formatted
- The need for consideration when accommodating viewing
variances
- Best practice for navigation elements to present a
clear and easy method to find relevant information
- Search Engine Optimization factors, in order for the
site to be search engine spider friendly
- Like any application of technology, web design is on
the cutting edge of blending function and form with
finesse, to create a new medium that has the power to
significantly improve the success of your company
through a professional and stimulating website.
Commercial websites are exhibiting more and more
potential to forge new revenue streams, while enhancing
existing ones. Therefore, a visually interesting and
stimulating website is certainly going to be more
memorable than a static, text based, poorly constructed
website. |