Website Design Solutions and Considerations

In the world of website management, it’s often been said that content is king, but if your design fails, nobody will stick around long enough to experience the content.

Some consider design to be a component of content, but it’s actually a separate consideration having to do more with aesthetics and branding than actual content, which is the information, images, and products or services that a site presents to its audience.

When you’re getting ready to launch or redesign your site, take your time, develop the content first, and seek out comprehensive, proven website design solutions to ensure that your site’s design is a success.

Let’s look at some basic considerations to keep in mind when you’re getting ready to design your website.

Content Development

Most web professionals agree that a site’s content should drive the design and not the other way around. Before you get started with design, develop a comprehensive content plan. Here are some questions to consider during the content development phase:

• Do you already have a logo? If not, you might want to get one before you start on your website design.
• What will be on your home page? Will it be image-driven or text-driven? The most effective home pages serve as an introduction to a site’s content.
• How many pages will the site have? Try to include the basics: home, about, contact, FAQ, and at least one page that describes your products or services.
• Will the site include a blog? Articles? Videos?
• How often will the site be updated or changed? Keep in mind that if you don’t make your own updates, you’ll have to pay someone every time a small change is made. Also, remember that the more frequently you update your site, the better your search engine rank will be.

Image and Branding

Your site should reflect your company image. Are you sleek and professional? Warm and friendly? Cutting edge? Your image is an essential part of your brand, and it should be reflected in everything that relates to your website and your company – from press releases to advertisements.

One of the most essential branding components is your logo. If you don’t have one, your website designer may be able to create one for you as part of your design package. Your logo should appear on your business card, website, in ads, and all other materials that you share, publish, or distribute.

If you start with a logo and company image, you’ll already have the foundations in place for your website. Design solutions come quickly and easily when a well-planned brand is already in place.

Traffic Generation

Before you design and launch your site, you should spend some time thinking about how you’ll draw traffic. Some websites draw all their traffic from search engines. If you plan on harnessing search engine traffic, you’ll want to optimize your site and that would be mean hiring a search engine optimization (SEO) expert. Website copywriting professionals (like me) often offer a variety of SEO services, including SEO copywriting.

You may also use directory listings, referrals, and advertisements. Your website copywriter can help with writing text ads and your website designer should be able to create image ads for you. Remember that any text or image ads that you use to promote your site should tie in with your brand and your design scheme.

If you have a handle on how you’ll draw traffic before you start working on the design, you can incorporate your ads or SEO into the content development and design plan. For example, if your online marketing plan includes a press release, article marketing, or newsletter, your website copywriter can work on these while writing your website copy. Everything will be coherent, written in the same tone, and it will all reflect your image and brand.

Finally, Bring in the Designer

First and foremost you need to figure out who is going to be generating your web site. Here are a few options:

• Design it yourself – If you already know web design, this is an obvious choice.
• Use WYSIWYG web design software – For the record, WYSIWYG stands for What You See is What You Get. This would include software such as FrontPage, which is relatively easy to use, especially for anyone familiar with the Microsoft Office suite of products.
• Use an automated site generator – Hosts such as Yahoo! provide automated tools, which are user friendly and walk you through the process of putting together a web page.
• Hire someone – You can hire a business or an independent professional (freelance web designer) to put your site together.
• Trade – If you can find a web designer who is in need of the products or services you offer, you can inquire about doing a trade.
• Get someone to do it for free – If you know someone who’s willing and able, ask away!

No matter who designs your site, you should take a look at some of their previous work to make sure that their style and skill level matches your design needs. You also need to understand that there’s more to design than the way a site looks. If your site will include e-commerce, for example, you may need a design team that includes a designer and a web programmer.

Before the site is built, you need to consider what you want it to look like. If you hire someone, they will ask you to outline your preferences in terms of color and layout, and they’ll need to know whether you have any images or links you want to display on the site. Be prepared to have a preliminary design plan.

In these times, a well-built website is critical to business success. Whether you’re starting a brand new site or revamping an existing one, don’t rush. Take the time to plan carefully so you save time and money later and get it done right the first time.

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