How to Get the Best Return On Your Investment with Website Design
Many people will contract with a website professional, or maybe even give a website revamping a try in 2010. I have compiled a list of elements to look for and try to incorporate when setting up a new web presence or upgrading an existing one in order to get the best return on your investment.
Content is King
Search engines love fresh content, and having a way to easily update content is crucial. If you have to use an antiquated content management system (CMS), or worse, if you have to purchase a specific program in order to update your site - don’t! Find another designer. Programs get outdated quick and may not have the most up-to-date tools. Plus, in most cases you cannot use those programs from another computer. Having the ability to update from anywhere is a great asset to your business on the web. Look for a web based CMS because they offer the best flexibility.
Also, look for a CMS that separates the code and design from the content. This allows you to focus on the content and not worry about the other things. I have seen many people log into their website using a program like dream weaver, and actually end up deleting vital information from the webpage.
Simplify the Design
Less is more. Open spaces make people want to open their wallets. (I heard that on HGTV). But seriously, a clean professional website will gain more interest than a website that has a ton of information to try to decipher and dig through. Make sure you have a clear message and that all links are labeled correctly. Do not use abbreviations and icons when the actual word works best. Use complementary colors and try to not use tiling backgrounds that may take away from the text.
Use Clean Code
I know you may not know how to read code. Honestly, it is a foreign language to almost everyone and it makes some people hyperventilate. This is where it is best to get a professional involved, no matter what your friends’ son tells you - the code matters. Having good clean code for each page is key to getting good search engine ranking. Things like Alt tags and the use of proper linking are important.
Make Things Unique
The design, code, graphics, title tags, content, description - everything should be different. It is ok to use some elements over and over, but the main thing is that each page is differentiated so that the search engine spiders see a website with tons of new information. A large site with different information in all the right places goes a long way in getting your site ranked properly.
Good Working Forms
Do not ask too much because you will scare people away, do not ask too little or you will have nothing to follow up on. Lead generation forms are really a work of art and can get really frustrating quick for visitors. Do not over-style the forms and make sure they are labeled adequately.
Flash is nice but…
Flash makes things look great, amazing even. The main issue I have with flash is that iPhone’s will never support it, so if you have a nice flash navigation there is a good chance that the search engine will not spider your whole website. Who wants to get only some of their website on the search engines? Show of hands anyone? Plus it turns some people off, especially if they are on certain government computers and cannot use flash technology. You do not want to miss customers due to the whole “something’s missing, so something isn’t right” line of thinking.
Do not over-think things.
I hear lots of people who say things like, “I want to sell online”, “I want to have a picture of all my staff and bios of each with a cv and video, etc.” You have to step back and say, “do I really need this on my site?” “Will this benefit the visitor or is this something to make me feel better”? Remember the main reason people are going to your website is for the products/services - not to see a picture of your cat.
High end design goes a LOOONNNGGG way.
Most people who visit your site will never email you right away. Therefore, this is the only time they will have an interaction with your company. Your website is the face of your organization, so why would you not want it to look top notch. Paying more for the design is definitely worth it. Visitors will see your nicely designed website and say, “this person cares about their business, therefore they will care about my business.”
What is it you want the visitor to know about your company? Do you have a slogan, guarantee, or have you been in business 50 years? All the things you would tell someone on a sales call or in your elevator pitch should be front and center on your website. Remember that the same things you do for your brick and mortar or face to face sales should be done online.
Where is that contact number?
If they have to look for contact information, they won’t. There is no need to make it hard for a customer to contact you. Any way to contact you should be placed in visible places on your website. Preferably you should have your address and phone number on every page. If it is not in your design plan, or doesn’t fit your website, please make sure you have a clear contact us link in your navigation.
That is it, a lot of basic things that you need to remind yourself of when you are looking to redesign your website. Remember the main thing is search relevance. Making your website available online to all the search traffic is key to success online. Ask your developer to show you examples of good search placement that they have established for other businesses. If they can do it, they will show you, and more than likely they can replicate it for your business.