If you are reading this article more than likely you are either an Internet marketer, a consultant or someone who is intimately involved with online experiences. When either designing a website or marketing strategy you must keep in mind the personality of your customers and not your own. For this article, I will define the website user experience as, the whole experience a website visitor has while on your site.

As an industry, social media consultants and Web developers think they are very smart. In most cases this is true but at times we tend to either over analyze events and designs or think of what we like when designing something rather than what the user would like to see. In the corporate setting this is thought of as what does a particular person bring to the table? In this setting, people bring their experience, fear of their boss, college degrees and knowledge.

At times, website developers do not show empathy towards the website user and their experience. Developers want the website user to understand what they were saying in the design and layout of the website. Developers must also understand why a user did not understand. This all includes what the user likes and did not like, colors, set up, content and products. Unfortunately, many developers fake it when they are designing a new website. After learning from a client what they want in a website it is the developers job to guide the client through a series of questions about not only what they want on the website but whether customers are like and incorporate all of this into the site design. If the designer does not do this they are not really getting the website user what they want in their experience while visiting the website,

Another unfortunate direction many website developers take years by incorporating shortcuts into their development. By thinking one color is fine over another or certain content would benefit users rather than other content are developers really offering the website user what they want and is enhancing their experience on the site? Developers can only understand this by either gathering this information from the client or by talking with the users themselves. By understanding how the website can develop a relationship with the user will allow all of this information to blossom and come to light.

Another common error that many website developers make is by editing their own work. By hiring a content developer or editor to proofread the content which is going onto a site the information which will be presented to the website user will greatly enhance their total experience.

In summary, as website developers we must do four things to increase the website user experience:

1. Be ignorant (that is, do not assume users think a certain way.)

2. Empathize

3. Actually care

4. Interact with the user

If you are an Internet marketer who is out to attract as many prospective customers and subscribers as possible along with developing a greater presence online you need to learn as much as you can about link building and Internet marketing.

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Today I’m going to talk about some Do’s and Don’ts of website design. As a website designer in NH, this is one subject I’m passionate about. So please, bear with me if I start to ramble on a bit. I want to share as much useful website design information as possible (without boring you to death) but when it comes to the topic of designing websites, I could talk for hours.

So let’s begin…

For starters, I believe your website design should represent your personal or business philosophy, your values, and the overall “look and feel” of who you and your company are (or who you want to be)

When people see your website for the first time, they’re going to get an instant impression of you and your business… What do you want them to see?

Take my latest website for example (you can check it out by following the link at the end of this article)… When I designed this website, I wanted it to be simple, crisp, and elegant. The black background represents authority. And it also takes away some of the eye strain you might get, from looking at a bright white monitor, while trying to read what’s in front of you.

What values does it represent..? The values of authority, or someone who knows what they’re doing. It also shows my concern for your comfort (reduced eye strain while you’re reading)

Then, I wanted to give you something a bit more entertaining to look at, so I added a few flash banners to the pages.

What’s the philosophy behind this..? To give you quality information, from the words you’re reading, but not bore you with a static website design that has nothing but words on the page.

Finally, I put all the main navigation links in the same place on every page (Left hand side of page) This is so you’ll know exactly where to find the links, no matter which page you’re on.

I also sprinkled a few links throughout the text, so if you want more information about something, you can click on the link, and move on to whatever you’re interested in.

So, what do you want to impress your website visitors with?

Do you want a corporate presence that’s all business..? Or do you want a website design that shows you’re an honest person, with hometown values (and not just a faceless corporation)..? Or perhaps you want a website design that shows people you’re a fun loving person, with a sense of humor..? Maybe you just want a website to showcase your hobbies, talents, or personal opinions..?

There are nearly as many answers to this question as there are people reading this page right now.

My main philosophy is to keep your website design simple.

There are some large corporate websites on the internet that are very complex (and often very confusing to navigate) and most of the visitors they receive, click away without buying anything.

This is fine, if you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend, driving huge amounts of traffic to your website. (If 10,000 people a day are visiting your site, you don’t mind when only 1 out of every 200 actually make a purchase. You’ll still make 50 sales a day)

But for us mere mortals, who only see a few hundred visitors a day, we’d much rather have a higher rate of conversion from our websites.

You also don’t want to make your website design too cluttered or too distracting. Tons of animated pictures or flashing banners may look cool, but your visitors will become distracted, and possibly forget why they came to your site in the first place.

Also, too many moving images makes your website load much slower, so some visitors may click away before they ever see your website pages at all (No one wants to grow old waiting for a website to load)

Pop up windows are another thing… One pop up is O.K. (to present a special offer or an email sign up form). But you don’t want more than one on any page, and make sure your visitors can close it immediately if they want to.

Those pop up windows that block out part of the page, and won’t let you close them for a certain amount of time, only irritate most people. And if you irritate your visitors… they’re going to click away from your website, and never come back.

So when your thinking about what kind of website design you’d like, keep in mind who your building your web presence for… your visitors.

Keeping your website easy to navigate is one of the most important aspects of a good website design. If your visitors get confused looking for something on your website, they’re going to click away from your site and look somewhere else.

We live in an attention deficit society, and most people want instant results from their inquiries. If you don’t give it to them, they’re going to look elsewhere.

You also need a website design that will easily allow the search engines to navigate your website, so they can index it in their search listings. (You do want your website to show up in the search engines, don’t you?)

But what about Flash websites?

It’s true… Flash websites represent some of the latest technology in website design… They move and flow, and they can make your visitors say “WOW, NEAT WEBSITE”.

But full flash websites are difficult for search engines to index, because search engines only read HTML code and page text. If the search engines can’t tell what your website is about, they’ll have a difficult time indexing your website for your particular keywords.

I do like the look of Flash websites, and if you’d like me to build you one, then we also need to talk about off page website promotion. (ways to get actual people to your website, while we’re waiting for the search engines to figure out where to index your website)

Now don’t get me wrong… Big flashy websites are a designers dream. It gives us a chance to really get creative with flash animations, dynamic pop up windows, and auto loading video clips. but they can often be very confusing to navigate, and they can also be very distracting to your visitors.

If your visitors get too distracted by all the flash animations, they will often get confused or frustrated, and possibly even irritated. Remember… irritating your website visitors is one of the quickest ways to get them to leave your website in a hurry.

How about pure CSS websites?

CSS website designs are another up and coming website technology. There are many CSS evangelists who would have you believe it’s the only way to go.

CSS websites use an external file (CSS file), instead of tables, for the look of your website layout. Many people believe they give a more consistent look for a website when viewed through different web browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.) They also tend to load a bit faster due to the reduced code on each individual page.

But CSS websites also have their limitations. In particular, when it comes to centering certain fonts and images on the page.

Besides… table layouts, when done properly, will also give you a consistent look through all major web browsers.

CSS websites also allow you to globally change the look of your website by editing a single file instead of changing each page individually. This is great if you want to continually make changes to your website design, but if you already have a website design you’re happy with, then this point isn’t really necessary. Also, if you want to have different headers, or fonts, or images, on different pages, then you’ll need to access each page of your website one-at-a-time anyway.

What about PHP websites?

PHP websites are the only real way to go if you want a dynamic database driven website, (like a full e-commerce store, or a community website, or a blog. Basically any website where you want to keep your visitors information, so they can log into an area of your site with their name and password. Or if you want to allow your visitors to leave comments on your website).

But PHP websites tend to load slower than standard HTML websites. So if you simply want a fast loading website, to bring your business to the internet, HTML is the way to go. You can still sell products and services from an HTML website, but they don’t have to go through a database to retrieve any information.

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So there you have it… My basics for a quality website design.

I could go on for another hour, but this article is already starting to get a bit long. (in fact… This page used to be nearly twice as long) But then my friends and family told me you might not be as enthusiastic as I am about the topic. So I shortened it up a bit. The hard part was editing the content without leaving out some of the things I wanted to say.

I realize this whole process can be a bit of a challenge, trying to establish a web presence that will be up to date with modern technologies… one that will easily be indexed by the search engines… and a website design that will also be simple enough to allow your visitors to make the decision of doing business with you.

So your best bet is to simply browse the internet and look at some other website designs that are appealing to you. When you see a few that you like the look of, it will give you a starting point for your own website design

In summary…

The design of your website says a lot about you and your company.

A clean efficient website design tells your visitors you run a clean, efficient business. By contrast, a cluttered or confusing website design tells your visitors you’re cluttered and confusing.

If your visitors can’t understand your website, or if they can’t easily navigate your website, then they’ll probably click away as soon as they arrive… never to return again.

When people see your website for the first time, they’re going to get an instant impression of you and your business, and the first impression they’re going to get will be based on your website design… What do you want them to see?

Think about it…

Web designing is more than mere beautification of the website. Designers have a tough job to accomplish. They have to make the site visually appealing as well as user friendly. Besides, they also have to see that the site is search engine friendly. Spiders should be able to easily crawl on the website and the site should be displayed on the front pages of major search engines. A web designing company ensures that the site is attractive, professional, and readable to search engine spiders.

There are various practices that a professional website design company follows. They can be as given below:

*Utilization of every little space needs to be fore thought. The placement and positioning of every aspect needs to be planned. For example, whether the subheadings should be made bold, should there be a reflection underneath the logo, how to add something new to the website, etc. are few of the questions that a web designing company ought to have in mind.

*A professional website design company no longer makes use of tables. It is unprofessional and messy. They can only be used to show data and not to design websites. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a better option as compared to tables. They reduce the length of the code and thereby reduce the site loading time. They are preferred by the service providers in designing.

*It is important to make the website standards compliant. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has formulated certain standards that a web designing company ought to follow. The designed website is bound to be professional if these rules are adhered. There are other standards for web designing as well. However, these are the most recognized standards.

*Excessive use of flash, JavaScript, and sound effects are irritating to viewers. People may lack the patience to sit through flash intros that take a lot of time to load. They may not like the sudden and surprising sound effects. Readers may find it a nuisance. So, a professional website design company makes use of this technology sparingly.

*The website should be easy to use and handle. Visitors may not even be able to understand what all products the company offers, if the site is not easy to use. They should be able to surf through the entire site and find the products they are looking for! A web designing company, hence, makes the site easy to navigate. Sitemap is included without fail.

*A web designing company follows the motto ‘Less is More’ for a professional design. White space is effectively used. The entire design should be the right mix of balance, unity, emphasis, contrast, and rhythm of elements. An experienced designer calculates all the pros and cons of the design in his mind and after careful consideration of all the factors executes it in the site.

The above mentioned practices contribute to the profit of the business enterprise. Designing a professional site helps in the success of the business. It gives a positive image of the business in the mind of the reader. Visitors won’t consider the company amateur and would be willing to invest money behind the business enterprise. Professionalism should be practiced by the company and it should also be reflected in its website.

What is actually being “professional” and why is it important for organizations or brands? This is of the biggest questions that require extensive information and explanation. What do you do when you have to partner with any other organization for a certain purpose? How do you select the one which is best for your business? You surely look for professionalism? But how are you able to figure out that this particular brand is professional? Isn’t that “quality” that helps you to decide whether a particular organization is professional or not? And this isn’t just the quality of the products that matters rather each and every single move of the organization whether in its marketing domain, sales or which so ever it is, it has to be of high quality and standards.

Similarly a website design which is the biggest and the prominent representation of an organization in the industry must be of high quality so as to give a professional look to its business and help its customer’s rate it high among its competitors. These are not just the advertisements or different campaigns that carry the responsibility of marketing in fact each and every component of the organization whether it is any activity or an individual working in the organization are part of its marketing domain.

Website design must have certain important pages. It is mandatory to have them which include “About Us page” and “Contact Us” page. Your visitor should get complete information of your company or your products? And how they can contact you? These are the fore most things that everyone looks for when visiting any organization’s website.

Keeping the name of these pages as “About Us” and “Contact Details” is a usual practice so almost every single individual knows what he or she is going to get inside these pages but some organizations also change these names which isn’t an unhealthy practice but then the alternative names must be relevant and should clearly explain what sort of information does it contain so that visitors don’t have to face any trouble.

The look of the website design matters the most. It not only has to be attractive but it must also carry a professional look. By this I mean that all the information must be placed at its definite position on the website. Nothing should be overdone. Rule of moderation leads to a perfect solution. Adding the right images and colors to an optimum level will shape your web site design as professional.

There are many organizations which are into online business. In their case, establishing a credible image in front of the target audience is highly important. The path to contact, choose the products and the delivery system should all be transparent and crystal clear. Commitments should only be made to an extent that can be fulfilled. Making false claims will badly ruin the image of your company. Thus, each and every step should be taken by keeping the consequences in mind.

Professionalism also incorporates the fact that your website design is continuously updated. In case there is any change in your contact details or policies then it must be readily updated on the website. Delays really give a bad impression.

There are a number of different kinds of ecommerce websites that come up on a regular basis. However, only a handful of them remain successful. Hence, it is important to know the ones that are successful and how you might be able to emulate the success as well. In order to do this, you might probably have to learn a little more about ecommerce website design. Knowing more about this might probably help you figure out how you might be able to capitalize on and how it can help you run a website without too many things to worry about.

Getting a professional designer

One of the basic things to keep in mind would probably be to have a professional designer help you out with the ecommerce website design. In this way, you can be sure that the design of the site is easy to follow and will perhaps helps ensure that you do end up with a site that is quite easy to follow and will keep the people hooked on without too much of a problem. In a number of instances, this is quite a useful thing to have and take advantage of.

Sticking to the basics

When dealing with things like ecommerce, it is sensible to stick with the basics. Don’t worry too much about making a jazzy website or something that is very good looking and draws quite a bit of attention. Instead, what you could do is to go in for something that is simple and clean and ensures that people won’t mind spending some time at the website. Hence, having an ecommerce website design that echoes this sentiment is highly recommended. You will have a site that many people will flock to regularly and wouldn’t mind spending their money in, even if it is a little more than the competitors.

Offering a lot of variety on the site

Another aspect to look into would probably be to offer a lot of products and ensure that the people visiting your site don’t run out of options in a short period of time. In this way, the ecommerce website design will be a functional one, with products neatly arranged in the right categories and there being multiple options for the people to pick from and take advantage of. In the long run, it is definitely a recommended option to go in for. Continue to build on the variety and offer more to your customers so that they return back and even recommend the site to their friends.

If you do everything in the right manner and go about it systematically, there shouldn’t be a problem as such for you to worry about. Hence, getting a good ecommerce website design shouldn’t be hard if you stick with the basics and get everything done in order. Gradually, you will need to change a couple of things in order to keep the design new looking and fresh. However, if your website is a hit, you will stand to gain quite a bit of money over the next few years or so.