DOs and DON'Ts of Good Website Design: 3 Important Points to Remember when Developing your Website!

Are you a startup company? Do you have a Website? Have you designed your Website without any regard for your company’s identity, colors, content, graphic design, or style? Well, then read on, and learn some tips for developing a Website that will take you into modern day cyberspace.

Point No. 1: Plan your Website.

I‘m sure you’ll be tired of hearing about planning, but it is very important. A Website is somewhat like an electronic brochure. You want to present your company image, but, you also want to present your products, provide pertinent content, and make it easy for your visitors to navigate your Website. Sounds easy? Many startup companies decide to use one of the web-building tools on the market and do it themselves. That’s okay but sometimes it’s a good idea to get some outside inspiration. A Web design agency should be able to construct a Website that takes into consideration your company image, your products, and your marketing strategies. They should really be an extension of your marketing team. If they are only there to design an award-winning Website, then just say no to them.

Talk to your customers and find out how they search for information about your company, that is, what information is of the most importance to them? Do your customers want e-commerce so they can order your products directly online? Or do they just want to obtain information about your products or services? What is the logical order for the content of your Website? If you have products and software, do your customers look at the products and then want to know the accessories and software that complement those products? Whichever way your customers have a tendency to review your company, you should attempt to build your Website in the same manner. Consider polling or surveying your customers to find out what features they want. If you already have a Website but want to improve it, ask your customers which features they would like you to retain.

Point No. 2: Focus on your home page.

Your home page is probably the most important page of your Website. It’s the place that your visitors will most likely land first. So, make the home page interactive. Give your visitors a chance to download pertinent information about your company. Have a search capability so your customers can easily find the information they need so they won’t have to drill down 25 pages. Create landing pages on specific topics so that you can guide your customers to pertinent information from other sources.

Also make sure you don’t add too many graphics, banners, music, etc. This will cause your home page to load slowly. I find that most people hate having an opening page with music and visuals. They’ll usually click it off and go directly to the home page. So, try to avoid anything too fancy. Keep it simple, but creative. Create a neat, clean, tidy home page that is easy to navigate. For search engine optimization, keeping Flash off of your home page is the best advice. Some Web crawlers may not index your Web site.

Point No. 3: Elements of Website content.

There are many things you can place on your Website, but there are a few elements that you may consider. For example, make sure you have a search capability. You may also want to capture e-mail addresses so you can build your prospect list. One way to do this is to offer something free and request that your visitors sign up for an e-newsletter, application bulletin, white paper or the like.

You may also want to include some information on your executive management. This is especially important if you are seeking venture capital or are a publicly traded company. You can place photos and short biographies of each executive or board member.

Another item you may consider adding is a career section. If you are searching for candidates, this is a good recruiting tool. The candidates can apply online, streamlining the H.R. process. Internal candidates can also easily apply for an available position, which is good for employee growth and retention.

Many companies have added a Press Center or a News Room on their Websites. If you are looking to get free publicity it behooves you to nurture those relationships with key editors in your industry. In the Press Room, obviously, you should have your current and past press releases, accompanying photos, and contact information. If you are publicly traded you will want to include investor relations information.

Of course, don’t forget to include Contact Us information. I see so many companies with only an e-mail address. Visitors want to make sure you are a legitimate company. So, provide your address, phone, fax, e-mail, or any other way to contact your company. You may even want to list various departmental contacts, or show office locations if you have multiple sites. You should include a map with directions to your office. Also, provide a request form so your visitors can touch base with you if they have any questions or want a quote.

Remember to make a good impression on your Website. It is a reflection of your company’s image.

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KIWI Communications, Inc.