AWI - Ohio Valley Chapter FREE eNewsletter
Volume 2, Issue 1, June 6, 2007
Deborah L. Daily
Many times when people discover we design and create websites, they immediately ask, "Can you build a website for my company and how much will it cost?" That's no different than asking a homebuilder, "Can you build a house for me and how much will it cost?" Before building any home, a builder will need architectural blueprints defining your exact needs and preferences. Do you want a one or two story house? Do you want a basement or a screened in porch? How many rooms will be in your new home? Are there any special electric or cable needs to accommodate an "in-home" office? How much land do you want to build on? How much square footage do you need? The list goes on and on and on.
In designing and building any website, up-front planning is one of the most important steps. What types of information do you want to convey? How will your website grow? Do you need e-commerce capabilities, online business solutions, Intranet, video, audio, web cam or animation?
| 1. | Create a well-defined business plan for your site | |
| • | Work within a budget | |
| • | Plan on changes and revisions | |
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| 2. | Build the site for the CUSTOMER not for yourself or the web designer | |
| • | Make it easy for the customer to find information quickly - they're in control | |
| • | Think of your website like a virtual store front. If your customers are uncomfortable, if service is slow, or if it's a confusing environment, chances are they won't come back | |
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| 3. | Practice the K.I.S.S. Principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) | |
| • | Quality over quantity | |
| • | Less is more | |
| • | Start small, be clear, concise, and to the point | |
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| 4. | Know your customer | |
| • | What kind of information and services do they expect to get from your website? | |
| • | Will they have the latest PC's or older ones? Design the website for the proper level of technology. | |
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| 5. | Market Research & Log Analysis | |
| • | Use technology to understand who's visiting your website and where they are going | |
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| 6. | Map out your website before you build it | |
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| 7. | Don't make your site too shallow or too deep. | |
| • | Break your content down into a handful of easy to understand categories. | |
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| 8. | Don't forget about marketing the site | |
| • | If you build it, will anyone know it's there? | |
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| 9. | Put your URL address on everything - business cards, letterhead, t-shirts, newspaper ads, promotional items, etc. | |
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| 10. | Think of your site as a new business property | |
| • | How attractive is the storefront? | |
| • | How will customers know where to go for help? | |
| • | When you answer the phone, what are the top questions they ask? | |
| • | Frustrated web customers = missed opportunities | |
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| 11. | Over time, plan on adding more unique content only available on your website | |
The Gain - An Easy-to-Use, Interactive, Well-Designed Website
Building a website without a "floor plan" or "blue print" is a waste of both time and money. Without proper planning, your site may appear to be nothing more than a set of disjointed, unrelated web pages. Truly professional sites have these common factors:
| • | Easy navigation |
| • | Easy to locate information |
| • | Text segmented into "byte sized chunks" |
| • | Fast graphic downloads |
| • | Limited link choices for each screen to reduce confusion |
| • | Short and sweet shopping cart processes |
| • | Refreshing and updated content |
| • | Easy to remember domain names |
Deborah L. Daily is the President of Buckaroo Technology Group, a full service marketing firm specializing in marketing communications and website development. She may be contacted at dldaily@buckarootechnology.com or 317.845.0830.
