Website design is an art form. Website designers face many challenges in order to bring you the sophisticated websites they offer. Successful website designers overcome these challenges and continue to produce some of the most effective and attractive websites. Often, the website is a customer's first glimpse at a company. It is very important that the company put its best foot forward, even online. Creating a website that is available to everyone, including people using handheld devices and the visually or mentally impaired, is of great importance to website designers.
Code Issues
Before designers begin work on a website, they must first decide the type of code required to achieve the optimal website. Will they use HTML, XHTML, PHP or something else? Will they need to take advantage of other aspects of web design like cascading style sheets or JavaScript? Maybe the specific website will require a combination of all aspects of website design they have at their disposal. They must take every small detail of their client's needs into consideration during the initial planning process. More than the design itself, poorly written code is often the downfall of potentially great websites.
After designers begin, they must be sure their code is up to par with the World Wide Web Consortium. The W3C has a set standard for website code in an effort to bridge the gap between websites Internet-wide. The standards set forth by the W3C were put in place to help ensure that the Web continued to work properly no matter who built tools to support it. Today's website designers strive to follow the recommendations of the W3C to ensure properly functioning websites that are properly indexed with search engines. Search engines use programs called "crawlers" or "spiders" that crawl through websites looking for keywords so they can properly index the site. A site not built to W3C standards isn't as easily indexed. It is very important that a website designer be familiar with the W3C "best practices" rules. A website designed by the rules set forth by the W3C is displayed properly in a variety of web browsers.
Design Issues
Color schemes are one of the most challenging issues facing website designers. Oftentimes business owners have the perfect website in mind. They describe in great detail what their wishes are. The designer designs the website precisely to the wishes of the business owners, and the website fails miserably. Some color schemes simply work more effectively than others. Sometimes the website designer must speak up and inform the business owner that certain colors may not work well together or a different font may be required. The reputation of the company hiring the designer isn't the only one at stake.
Innovative layouts are increasingly more difficult to come by. According to statistics, people tend to look in specific areas for things like menus and contact information. If those links aren't readily available, the website in question probably won't receive the attention it deserves. Layout is one of the most important aspects of website design. After all, it is often the first impression a customer gets.
Visual issues aren't the only design issues the website designer faces. Businesses wishing to do online business with government agencies must also have a website that is ADA (American Disability Act) compliant. Government agencies will not do business with any non-ADA-compliant website. Visually impaired computer users utilize "screen readers" to read content from a website for them. Websites that are not compliant with these programs for the visually impaired often lose that potential customer base.
Graphic Design
You don't have to be a graphic designer to be a website designer. Website design and graphic design are completely independent of each other. A nicely created website does indeed consist of graphics and text, but the content usually comes from the business requesting the website, not the website designer. The ability to place the graphics where the business owner wishes is the responsibility of the website designer. Website designers and graphic designers have the ability to create multi-functional websites by creating image maps of a photo or other image. Extensive knowledge of graphic design software is not a requirement.
Content Issues
Website designers aren't directly responsible for the content on the website. They must rely on the business owner for text and graphics to fill the pages they create. This is often a challenge if graphics are too large or too many. A website filled with graphics takes longer to load and often receives less traffic because of it. If it takes more than 20 seconds to load, people lose interest.
The business owner often relies on the website designer to provide a working, fully search engine optimized website. The website designer may request that the business owner provide professionally written content to aid in that quest. In order to be fully search engine optimized, the keyword density needs to be correct, as well as a few other stipulations met.
A bold statement? Well maybe, but it's becoming increasingly the case that whatever business you happen to be in, you really do need a website in order to stay one step ahead of your competitors (or at least to compete on a level footing with them).
There are large and small business owners alike who still suffer from what I call 'Dark Age Thinking' whenever the subject of having a website to promote their business is mentioned. "Why do I need a website?" they say, innocently.
Well, a better question might be, "What if I don't have a website for my business?" Well, here's why your competitors who DO own a website will be stealing your business right from under your nose!
Potential customers are searching for local products and services online.
That may be a butcher, a hairdressing salon, a bar, a restaurant, a nightclub, a DIY store, a plumber, a carpenter, an electrician, someone to look after their swimming pool, a shoe shop, a jewellers, a dress shop, an accountant, a furniture store etc. I could go on, and if you haven't got a website for your business and your competitors have, then i'll let you guess who is going to grab that money?
When you own a website, your business is never closed!
Whilst your actual business hours may only be 9-5 or whatever, your website goes on working for you 24 hours a day. It's like having your very own salesman working around the clock for you!
Don't forget that just because your business premises are closed that doesn't mean that people aren't going on to the internet and searching to find a business or service just like yours. They can often be searching after they have finished work themselves, or late at night or on a weekend. They are deciding who to shop with, whose service to use. And they are making that buying decision by visiting your competitors website, because you haven't got one! Every business has to promote themselves with advertising. Right or wrong?
Their are two types of business, those that invest in advertising to promote their business and those that lose potential business hand over fist!
Well, I can tell you, your competitors who have got a website for their business are getting at least twice the benefit from every single penny that they spend on advertising. Why? Because every time they place an advertisement in a local newspaper, or magazine or yellow pages etc they can mention their website right there in every ad they place!
This means that readers can read the advert and then go and visit your competitors website and get all the extra information they need. So your competitors get two shots at the same target audience, once from the newspaper or magazine ad and then again from their website, while you're left trailing in their dust because you didn't have a website where you could answer all your buyers questions, show them pictures etc. Your website owning competitors are putting forward a professional image.
Potential customers have more confidence in and prefer doing business with companies that they know something about. With your own website you can keep potential customers informed about the latest products and services you offer, the new menu you have, the latest discount you are offering, your newest line, or just explain to them in as much detail as you want why they should do business with you and not your competitor. You can show them pictures or even talk to them via a video on your site!
Like I said at the beginning of this article, "In these days of fierce competition, if you haven't got a website for your business, you haven't really got a business!" - So get your business out of the dark ages and stop letting your competitors steal your potential customers right from under your nose!
Both Chris Coleman & Roy Carter are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Roy Carter has sinced written about articles on various topics from A Secured Loan, Brain Tumor and Management Software Solutions. You May Be Surprised At Just How Little Your Own Business Website Could Cost! You Can Find Out At http://www.WebDesignersCyprus.com And It Doesn't Matter Where In. Roy Carter's top article generates over 33100 views. Bookmark Roy Carter to your Favourites.