It’s a familiar story. Your Web site was designed around the time when an upstart named Google was just getting their foot in the door of the Search Engine market. At the time, it was a great Web site. It might have even had some cool new features like some JavaScript rollovers or maybe even some Flash.
Unfortunately, times change. Those image rollovers that you used to think were innovative are now horribly outdated and your competition seems to have redesigned their Web site about every 6 months since yours went live several years ago. It’s time to redesign.
It sounds like such a great project that it couldn’t possibly go wrong, but trust me—the best of intentions can sometimes lead to costly business mistakes. The entire redesign process would take several of these articles to properly explain, but I’d like to talk about my 4 basic rules to remember BEFORE you start the process of a Web site redesign:
1. Determine EXACTLY what you want from your new Web site and be realistic.
A Web site redesign project can be as big or small as you want it to be. Some times the written content might be fine and a freshening of the interface is all that’s in order. Other times some Web applications might need to be developed to take online orders or allow members to log in.
No matter what you decide you need, remember that everything that you do needs to accomplish your businesses’ overall goals of increasing sales and retaining current customers. Anything outside of this might not be necessary.
Also, don’t be afraid to do things in phases. A lot of my Web design clients do things this way because it allows them to focus on immediate needs first. For instance, a client might have very poor Search Engine rankings because their old Web site was poorly developed and their tags are no good. But they also want user forums where their clients can discuss and ask questions. We might do 2 phases for a project like this. The first would get their Web site up to date with the latest Search Engine Optimization techniques, and once that is done and the Search Engines are re-indexing their pages, we will develop the other features that they want on their site, such as the member forums.
2. Choose a Designer wisely.
Choosing the right Web designer is obviously a huge part of your Web site redesign project. Even large corporations with a creative department will outsource this job to an outside firm a lot of the time. The right Web designer will display creativity, but will also be sensitive to the context in which their designs are going to be viewed.
For instance, for a high-priced law firm in Manhattan, a singing, dancing animated character, executed in Flash, would not be the right way to go. Make sure that the Web designer has made work that fits the client’s personality and vision, and not the other way around.
A lot of clients that come to my firm inquiring about a Web redesign want to see only work that is in THEIR industry. I think that finding a designer that ‘knows’ your industry is a valid one, though a GOOD designer will put the time and effort to learn an industry. To me, it’s more important that someone has the sensitivity and understanding to be able to work with ANY industry. Some times firms that specialize in only one industry begin to suffer from ‘tunnel vision’ or possibly even lose their creativity altogether because they are no longer challenged with learning new things.
Either way, taking an extensive look at a Web Designer’s portfolio will tell you a lot. And you might want to call a few references as well.
3. Don’t give in to fads and eye candy
As a Web Designer, it is my job to keep up with the latest and greatest software, plugins, trends and design ideas. While some of these are great tools, with every project that I tackle, I need to ask myself: “Does this tool—as cool as it looks—accomplish what the client wants to accomplish?†A lot of times it does, some times it doesn’t. For instance, I am a proponent of Flash because of the amount of interactivity and interest that it can add to a static Web page. But it only works when it is used properly and when it fits with the rest of the Web site. There are some times when animation, sound or video will just NOT work.
4. Remember why you’re doing it in the first place.
You are redesigning your Web site because your company wants to increase sales and retain current customers. If every single feature of your new Web site does not contribute to that, you need to reconsider why you are doing it. It’s not enough to just have a facelift every once in a while. A good Web site redesign can be costly and unless it is directly contributing to the growth of your company, you could easily put your marketing budget to better use.
The best Web site redesigns are the ones that take a company’s ideas and vision and portray it in a way that is attractive, easy to use and memorable. The features you add to your Web site that truly benefit your potential clients and current customers are the ones that will pay off tenfold in the long run.
Best of luck in your Web site redesign process.
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About The Author
Greg RS Kihlstrom is creative director for Carousel30 - http://www.carousel30.com. His corporate identity work has won international awards and been published in books, magazines and design Web sites.
May 30th, 2006
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If it doesn’t read quickly, It doesn’t work.
This rule applies to everyone — from the lofty creative director to the junior designer to the boss who employs them. By “read” I mean a viewer’s ability to comprehend the advertisement or message in less than three seconds. That’s right! You have only three seconds to convey your message. If you have not successfully captured your reader or viewer by then, they will simply move on. Whether you’re on TV or the Web, you are one simple click away from being ignored. In print, you’re one turn away. Good design is essential whether you’re creating a church newsletter or developing a multi-million dollar ad campaign for TV.
Reading broadcast and the Internet
Try this at home. Turn your TV to a news channel like CNN or MSNBC and mute the sound. Do the visuals communicate without sound? News channels rely heavily on graphics and visuals to tell their stories. The same is exceedingly true for the Web. The only exception is that the Web is user driven. That means your Web site visitor must click and navigate around your Web site to browse its information.
Does your navigation “read†well? Do your photos and graphics communicate quickly and clearly? If not, your site may be getting passed over by disinterested visitors.
Design is all around us. It permeates our lives from the subliminal to the intentional. The keyboard you’re typing on and the mouse you’re clicking were first developed and conceived by an industrial design team. The chair you’re sitting in was developed by an ergonomics design team. The box your chair was shipped in and its printing was developed by an advertising packaging team.
Design is critical to successfully selling your product to the public. Your Web site is literally your storefront or advertisement to the world. Make sure it’s designed to invite, inform and intrigue.
Do not covet thy neighbor’s concept
People tend to covet what they see. I know this because clients frequently bring me their ideas, hopes and dreams. And many times they’re of Web site concepts they’ve seen elsewhere. This is good creative fuel for inspiration, but it’s best to create a concept from the core of your own business branding.
Innovate, don’t regurgitate. Consult a design professional who will collaborate with you in building a Web site concept that conveys your message. A great concept leaves a memorable impression.
Here’s an example. Let’s say client “A†sells shoes. Simple enough. Post the logo, Web copy and pictures of some great looking shoes. Maybe even some bold, snazzy sales copy like, “Super Sale on Brown Shoesâ€. Client “B†decides to take a different approach. He gets a photo of a businessman in a nice suit with his legs crossed at a meeting, exposing the bottom of one of his shoes. The exposed shoe sole has a hole in it. That’s a concept!
Template Web site services
Companies that offer template Web services are fine for businesses on a shoestring budget, but be advised, what you see is not necessarily what you get. These are “closed template†systems that do not offer much scalability in terms of customization. That means your Web site will have a cookie-cutter appearance that does little to help you stand out among your competitors. These Web sites are a breeding ground for bad design, especially when it comes to typography. Use of type styles by itself is one of the purist forms of design.
Get to the goal
Get online and look at your competitors. Make a list of goals that you wish to achieve with your new Web site or your redesigned Web site. Prioritize your list and invite multiple Web design companies to bid for your project. Be sure to ask them about their design process. Ask questions such as: Does your price include multiple design concepts? If so, how many designs and revisions am I allowed? In the end, you want a Web site that you can talk about enthusiastically and take great pride in. After all, it’s you storefront 24/7 on the Internet.
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About The Author
Ricardo Vidallon is owner and creative director for http://www.visionefx.net a Virginia based web design company.
May 30th, 2006
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Your websites theme is very important to its success. When your site is indexed by search engines, they actually review your sites theme as well as other content. The theme must be carefully planned. Here are some tips for developing a proper web site theme that will make search engines happy as well.
Choose a design that revolves around keywords and keyword phrases. For example, if your sites keywords are sporting goods, choose design elements that are associated with sporting goods. Use bright colors such as red and yellow. Use elements that are high impact and exciting, similar to thoughts associated with sporting goods.
Focus on the types of products, services, and information you seek to promote. You are selling sporting goods, not bedding. Focus on sporting goods and stay on that approach. Don’t get side tracked with a certain color theme you favor. Make your keywords the main focus of your theme. Make them bigger, and make them stand out against all the other content.
Search engine spiders review website theme as to how it relates to keywords. It is a complicated algorithm, but it takes into consideration the use of keywords and links. Search engines look for lots of content related to the main theme throughout the site, so it’s a good idea to have lots of information written for your site.
Lots of work should go into choosing the perfect theme for your site. Make sure you are truly representing what you wish to provide. If you get bogged down with too many keywords or keyword phrases, you may need to consider additional websites that focus around this theme, instead of flooding your own site with too many products.
Remember, the theme of the website should be appealing to users as well as the search engines. Once a theme is finalized, there are many more steps to make your site optimized for search engines. A theme is only the beginning. But it should be a strong foundation from which your site will grow and develop.
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About The Author
This article was written by Dawn Rowlett of Web Submission Services as an informational piece for website owners. Please visit Web Submission Services for more information about web site theme, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/web-site-theme.htm and search engine optimization techniques, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/web-design-search-engine-optimization.htm.
May 30th, 2006
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