You can spend a fortune getting high Google ranking with various SEO techniques, but visitors only spend a few seconds deciding whether they want to view your website. How do you get them to do what you want?

This is where good design comes in.
20 things to think about.

1. Is the heading too small… or too big?
2. Is it obvious what your product or service does?
3. Does it appeal visually to your target market?
4. Does it reinforce your brand?
5. Do you have compelling benefits over your competitors?
6. Is the website easy to navigate?
7. Is there anything that will confuse the reader?
8. Is the contact/buying procedure overly confusing or complex?
9. Is the site engaging or similar to everyone else’s?
10. Is the content believable and easily digestible by your target reader?
11. Is your copy keyword rich but succinct?
12. Do graphics enhance or distract the primary message?
13. Are you trying to get your visitor to do too many things?
14. Are your key benefits obvious?
15. Does the site reflect honesty and trustworthiness?
16. Are there contact details that are directed at a human being who answers speedily and is up to speed on the product/service?
17. Does your website offer any guarantee if there’s a problem?
18. Does your website show any testimonials by important people in the field?
19. Is your website loaded with links that take the visitor AWAY from your site? Facebook pages and poor quality YouTube videos are very common.
20. Is the website up-to-date?

Just a few things to think about to increase your conversion rates.

We can in fact blame it on a list of factors: Influence from our parents and peers, our level of education, our environment, what is cool etc. Maybe it has genetic roots.

Maybe it could be nothing more than a mathematical equation. The golden ratio, an irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.6180339887, links popular art, music and architecture, was used extensively by Da Vinci himself as the basis of his work and is still widely used today as a proportional system which is in fact ‘more pleasing to the eye.’

Can you answer the question now, why you like or dislike your brand identity? Did the designer convince you that it was good. That it in fact serves a purpose? That it is aimed at your customers and not you?

Most good design is arrived at by research and strategy. Paul Rand summed it up nicely: [Design} “Providing meaning to a mass of unrelated needs…” Surely then it doesn’t matter whether you like it, as long as it sells product. Hello client, here is what we say you need. We are designers, this is our job, we are right and this is the right look/approach to your project. We’ve done the research and this is the answer.

No.

You might be using the most famous graphic designer in the land but if you the client doesn’t like what is produced on an emotional level then things aren’t as they should be. Your brand identity has to have your emotional backing. You are the one who has to sell your product. You are the one who has to invest in your business. And you are the one who has to carry this emotion to your customers and employees. If you like something and nobody else does, ask them why. Maybe they will convince you that another solution may be better.

Remember, there is no solution. Design is organic. If something is not working for you… or you don’t like it, change it. Everyone else is.

Finding Web Designers

Google and online directories might be a good place to start when you’re looking for a web design company. Spend a few hours looking through their websites. You can generally judge a company’s competence by looking at their own site. Someone local might be an idea if you prefer personal contact, but I manage to work successfully with people all over the world. If you come across a website that you are really impressed with, there is often a link to the web designer’s site or you can email to find the name and contact details of the web designer.

The Web Designer’s Portfolio

Looking at a website designer’s portfolio of previous work should be your first port of call. Remember that the projects that you are looking at have been done specifically for a particular business and client and may not be relevant for your own needs. If all their work looks similar it probably means they are using a template. This might mean that they can produce something for you very cheaply but at the end of the day, it may not be particularly effective for your business and or stand out from your competitors’ websites.

You might be surprised to hear that some sites in a designer’s portfolio might actually be someone else’s work or the designer might have only played a small part in the site’s development. In fact most corporate sites are built by large teams of people and in some cases outsourced overseas.

Another factor to consider is that a lot of the content of the site is hidden within the code. Someone offering a low-cost website may well cut corners and leave out lots of code loved by search engines. A site should be ideally built from scratch with search engines as a top priority.

What is a ‘good’ website?

Does it communicate effectively to its target audience? This can only be achieved by effective research and asking the right questions. Although it’s important to make the site appealing to you the client, the end user is actually the most important. Is it search engine friendly? Internet marketing to many appears to be a bit of a black art which is constantly changing. A good designer will be able to apply basic principles and suggest ways to increase targeting by keyword research and adwords if required. Try not to be scared by the jargon and bear in mind that effective Google rankings can be achieved quite simply in many cases by building the website in a sympathetic way.

OK, we’ve got people arriving at the site. How does the site engage? How do you keep them on the site and hopefully buy your service or product? The home page has to create a strong impression. Research shows that a person spends three seconds on a web page before deciding to leave or explore. Obviously you want this page to load quickly and work on all major browsers. If you do capture your audience then you have to keep them there. To do this you have to make the site as accessible as possible. Steve Krug has written a book ‘Don’t Make Me Think’ which sums this up. The visitor should be able to find the information they want without having to think… the architecture of the site should be intuitive. If someone is buying a product for instance, it should be a smooth and trouble-free experience. To complement this accessibility, information and copy should be web-friendly, written in small chunks and understandable by its target audience. Make sure there are opportunities for the end user to interact with the site too even if this is only an email link or enquiry form.

The nuts and bolts of the site is the code. You might be overwhelmed with jargon from web design companies because of the variety of program languages and applications. At the end of the day, the site has to load quickly and work effectively on all major browsers. And of course once the site is up and running, it’s not a good idea to ignore it. This is all rather simplistic of course, there are a lot of areas I haven’t covered but it should give you some ideas what to look for.

Testimonials

Testimonials  are always a good indication of a company’s worth. Personal recommendations are best of course. Remember, companies are not going to publish a bad reference on their website or promotional material. If in doubt a quick phone call or email can be reassuring.

Solving your problems

The questions you ask a potential web design company, the answers they give you and the questions they ask you, are very important. Do they have answers, for starters? Do they make suggestions? Are they keen to find out all about your business? They should be finding out whether you really need a website, what you want to do with it and who it’s aimed at. I provide a website  questionnaire for the potential client to complete before proceeding with detailed questions.

Costs

Web design companies often have different pricing structures. I’m often asked how much a website is going to cost before I know anything about what’s required. A good idea is to look at the general design process to get an idea of how the project SHOULD be progressed. Of course, this isn’t always the case as websites are cobbled together by all sorts of people. Remember if you create an amateur web presence this will have a seriously negative effect on your brand  and your product or service.

Generally though a ball-park figure can be arrived at after an adequate design brief and technical specification. Professional web design companies work on a bespoke basis and so do not publish specific prices although they will often give you a daily/hourly rate. Also bear in mind that a good web design company will advise you on domain names, hosting, search engine optimisation and content creation. Content is extremely important and the services of a web copywriter are highly recommended.

Qualifications and Skills

Website design is basically two disciplines, design and build. Compare it to a house. You have an architect and a builder. The design stage comes first, how it works, what it looks like, and how it communicates the message. The build can be complex or very simple depending on whether it has database integration, Flash animation, video, ecommerce etc.

Although website design has its own rules, restrictions and intricacies, there is a design process which applies to all design disciplines. Qualifications and experience generally means that the person has used and experimented with these disciplines and understands the communication process. I believe it is the nuances and attention to detail which make all the difference. These include usability, layout, colour and most importantly concepts and ideas. A good designer will know from the design brief what ‘builders’ will be necessary for the project.

Company size

The size of a web design company will give no indication as to the quality of work that can be produced, many freelance website designers offer far superior work. Using a larger company may mean your work is delegated to a junior designer or programmer. Working with a freelance designer has the advantage of working directly with the individual you have contacted and more often than not at a fraction of the price due to lower overheads. Freelance web designers and smaller website design companies are more likely to be able to offer a higher level of after-sales support if you have any problems or need anything updated.

The human element

Working with a small web design company or freelance designer puts you in closer contact and can be far more satisfying to work on a more personal basis. Pick someone who you feel you can work with, who is prepared to listen to you and who you feel can produce a great website within your budget and timeframe and take your business to a new level.

The Resolution Formula to determine whether your image is good enough for use and not pixelate (break up into visible dots) is: Divide the number of pixels by the resolution.

eg: 2000 pixels / 200dpi = 10 inches

Example variations

A large web photo:
850 x 562 pixels would give a reproduction size of 11.8″ x 7.8‚” at 72dpi

A full-page brochure photo:
4200 x 2790 pixels would give a reproduction size of 14″ x 9.3″ at 300dpi.

Careful with dots per centimetre‚  I’ve been caught out a couple of times.

As mentioned, large commercial printers require a resolution of 300dpi or more. If you use a large format inkjet printer or office printer, 150 dpi is perfectly adequate. Below this and there will be a discernible drop in quality. A test print would maybe be a good idea.

If you do start altering dpi and pixel dimensions remember that you can’t make an image physically bigger (up-sampling) without losing detail and quality. If you increase the resolution the size will come down accordingly. If you do need to up-sample for a billboard for instance, use Photoshop and increase the size in increments of 5% (with Bicubic Smoother).

Another important thing to remember that if you have a jpeg or gif (pronounced jiff), the file is compressed. If you edit and re-save it you will cause image deterioration. So always try to go back to the original file if you intend to change sizes and resolutions.

This is a rather simplistic view of it all which I’ve done on purpose as most descriptions seem to be overly complicated. If there’s anything you don’t understand or would like to know more please get in touch.

Are you thinking of having a website? Maybe you have one and are uncertain as to whether it’s working for you or not. There are all sorts of reasons people have websites. Here are some reasons you might have one. If you do have one or are planning to have one make sure it fulfils its purpose. Most sites use a combination of these objectives.

To disseminate information.

This is very common, everything from online magazines, online company brochures, to personal photo galleries. Basically you\’re not trying to sell anything directly, maybe trying to educate, or just trying to help people find out more about you, your knowledge, your product or service.

To sell a product.

Generally referred to as e-commerce. This can range from an online shop selling hundreds of items to a single item with a PayPal button.

Lead generation.

Collecting names on a database, the idea being that these names can be used for selling to at a later date. The most usual system is with a registration form tied in with free offer or something similar.

Keeping contact.

Giving your visitors the opportunity to leave their details so they can be kept up-to-date with whatever you have to offer, generally by email.

Membership or subscription.

Registering, generally by payment, to receive exclusive material.

Reinforcing or building your brand or image.

A sophisticated website can make your business look much bigger and better than it really is. If it’s more attractive to visitors than your competitors’ then you’re more likely to sell more, get more web traffic or achieve whatever your purpose is.

Interactivity.

You want to engage with your customers and have them returning to your site regularly.

1. Selecting your URL

A common mistake is to assume that your website can fulfil many functions. Sometimes it can, but if you’re running a business your primary goal is conversions… people buying your product or service either directly or some time in the future. A name that reflects your core business is the best scenario. If you sell two products, give them separate websites and link them together. If you can’t change the name, separating products and services will also gain web traffic by having different keywords throughout content and code, and also appear in different listings within directories.

2. Starting a website

You might be tempted into thinking of your website as a collection of pages, this is how people actually perceive it. Think instead of the overall structure of the site and simplify it, find its underlining patterns and organisation – its architecture. This way you’ll end up with a website that is easy to navigate, easier to maintain and easier to build and expand upon.

Start with content… identifying different types of information, topics, links… and organizing accordingly. A simple flow diagram should be drawn up to see if it all makes sense and pathways are logical. The user will want information on your site and you need to show the best route to get there.

A database-driven website takes this one step further. All content is drawn form the database into a ‘skeleton’ website. This has many advantages such as adding content without accessing the pages, using the same content in different places, collecting, correcting and updating data and also changing the visual design without destroying the content.

3. Graphic and Web Design

It’s OK getting high rankings in Google and other search engines but how do you keep visitors on your site? Research suggests that they make up their minds within 5 seconds. A strong graphic design presence is therefore vital. My advice is to make yourself DIFFERENT from your competitors. Make sure you communicate your message and reinforce your brand and that the site is aimed at your potential marketplace. Make sure you look professional. Design doesn’t just mean colour schemes and pretty images, it also dictates the architecture and usability of the website – function as well as form.

A website should be built from the ground up starting with keywords and ending with a call to action. The most effective websites are the ones where your customers will come back. A professional designer should always be the first port of call when building an effective website.

So what\’s the difference between a graphic designer and a web designer? A graphic designer will generally design in Photoshop or Fireworks and deal with marketing strategy, content, visual and interactive design. A Web designer will also handle the general coding in html, CSS and JavaScript (Front-End Development).

Many websites only require this amount of attention. For more complex sites a back-end developer is vital for implementing Content Management Systems (CMS), database integration and server integration. You should never rely on a back-end developer to design your website. Customised CMS systems can be very costly so bear in mind that there are many off-the-shelf solutions available.

4. Designer versus Coder

Graphic Design and programming are very different skills. Complete separation of these skills only really works for large projects where a project manager coordinates the team working on the project. I have seen beautiful designs ruined by programmers who cut corners or think they know best.

A good website designer on the other hand has a distinct advantage, creating great visual design and structure, backed up by reliable easy-to-maintain code. Work is also much more efficient without the need for meetings, misunderstandings and documentation.

The client can also see the design as it is developed in context rather than as a Photoshop file that often can be very misleading. As a designer, the more you know about the technology that’s being used to implement your design, the more likely you are to make effective use of it. Of course, the designer must know which areas of technology someone else should implement. I have several skilled freelance programmers who I use when necessary for such things as database integration.

4. Demographics

Who is your ideal client/visitor? Where do they live? It’s actually a good idea to invent three or four people who you think would fulfil this role. Make them as ‘real’ as possible and design the website to appeal to them. Aiming your website at everyone will only water down your message and reduce the number of potential conversions. Remember you’re the salesman, NOT the buyer.

5. Copywriting

Copywriting for a website has its own rules for effective communication. Generally copy is scanned rather than read, so information should be easily digestible and as succinct as possible. Remember to give your readers what they want and need rather than going on about what you have to offer. Write your copy for your specific audience.

A good designer will be able to evaluate your copy and suggest a professional web copywriter if necessary. Make sure your copy is loaded with keywords too, but don’t overdo it. There’s nothing worse than a piece of web copy with the same words repeated endlessly. It might help search engine optimization but it will also drive your potential customers away.

6. Using Technology

You may be familiar with web jargon, but to a newbie it can be a minefield of jargon. How do you get around this? Talk to a good designer who can explain things in simple terms. You may want to include animation and video that you love seeing on other sites, but consider whether it is appropriate for your business and worth the extra expenditure.

Also bear in mind that the more complex your website, the slower it will download and often be more costly to update. New gizmos are always appearing on websites – remember, these can make your site look very dated 6 months on. You might be tempted to design your own website from one of the many templates and systems available, but bear in mind, you won’t have the same amount of control and your website will be similar to millions of others. And is it cost effective? Surely your skills and time would be better utilised on what you‚Äôre good at.

7. Testing and Updating

What good is a website unless it gives you results? Nowadays it’s easy to keep track of visitors and how they access your site using the free Google Analytics. You can track all sorts of information and then make informed decisions on how to tweak your website to make it more effective. This is an ongoing process. To do it effectively you need to also analyze your competitors’ sites. I use a tool called Market Samurai to help me improve client’s websites.

A website also has to work on different browsers and operating systems. WC3, the World Wide Web Consortium has been trying to create web standards but Microsoft and Internet Explorer seem to have other objectives. (A real pain for website designers). Technology also changes rapidly and what might work on a web page might not in 6 months time and so websites do require periodic attention.

8. Increase traffic to your site with SEO and Social Media.

As I have mentioned, search engine optimisation should be built into a site from the ground up. Using Google Analytics, Market Samurai, keeping an eye on your competitors and common sense of course, you should be able to tweak the site regularly to keep it up to scratch. Spend time researching how Google ‘reads’ your website. Google is constantly changing tactics and you would be advised to keep up to speed on what is going on.

Social media is the current buzzword and cannot be ignored. Not only is it a good networking tool, it’s a useful resource for information and a fantastic way to make your website visible to millions of people. I suggest Ecademy, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter as a few sites to explore. Local community sites are also useful and I suggest submitting your site and business profile to any directory that might benefit you. Many of these are totally free of charge you’ll be happy to hear. All you’ll need is to take some time to fill in a profile, company logo etc. If you do it once you can keep a copy of it and cut and paste as necessary.

If you have anything else you think should be in this list or have any questions you would like to ask, please get in touch. john@promo-design.co.uk Find out more about Promo Design.

Your business and brand needs to be DIFFERENT so that your product or service stands out from the competition.

People want well-designed products and services because they look good and customers are prepared to pay more for superior design.

If your product or service isn’t looking its best, what do you compete on? Price! According to the Design Council, two-thirds of companies who ignore design have to compete mainly on price. In companies where design is integral, just one third do so. So, it follows – according to research, good design makes the best economic sense.

Good Graphic Design can benefit your business in many ways.

It can benefit in several ways:

• Increases sales of your products or services
• Improves market position relative to your competitors
• Builds greater customer loyalty
• Builds greater staff loyalty
• Establishes a stronger identity for your business
• Reduces the time needed to market new products and services

The design-led business

“Every £100 a design-led business invests in design repays £225 in increased sales” – Design Council

We’re not talking employing someone for a day or two to create a logo or leaflet, we’re talking about using the creative skills of a designer to influence business planning. This effectively results in your business being more innovative, competitive and profitable.

“83% of businesses which see design as integral have developed new products or services in the last three years compared to 40% of businesses overall,” – Design Council

“Share prices of design-led companies out-performed key FTSE indices by 200% over 10 years,” – Design Council

“There”s an awful lot of evidence across an awful lot of categories that consumers will pay more for better design,” – AG Lafley, Chief Executive, Procter & Gamble

Get in touch with me at john@promo-design.co.uk and I”ll show you how good graphic design can help you sell your products or services more effectively. Take a look at some of my branding projects.

But who is more important? The end user is. They probably don’t give a fig about your business and how it’s organised. All they want to know is what’s in it for them. Why are they on your site? What are they looking for? And can they find it easily? You’ve also got to get them beyond the homepage, so being number one on Google isn’t going to solve that problem.

So now we stop thinking about what we want on the site but rather put ourselves in the user’s shoes and figure out what they want. They are probably web savvy and know how to source the information they want. In fact there’s a good chance that they know as much, or even more, about your product than your sales people. A good idea is to actually think of your ideal clients, maybe two or three, even give them names, and then think about it from their point of view. Bigger organisations can use market research and focus groups to find out this sort of information. The important thing is to think from outside in, instead of the traditional inside out.

When you discover what your users want then you plan how to give it to them. This part of development is referred to as Information Architecture ‚ a way of establishing the best way for your user to interact with the site. Usability is of prime concern too. I recently read a good book on usability Called ‘Don’t Make Me Think’ by Steve Krug. I reckon this phrase sums up the purpose of good usability.

Improving user experience isn’t of course the only consideration. Websites can have a vast array of different goals and visitor groups. The user needs to be persuaded to move from one page to another. The user wants to do something, maybe learn something, maybe be entertained, maybe hear a story. Getting the user to return to your site may also be a necessity, whether by fresh content or effective eMarketing.

The website also has to look good of course. As Don Norman said ‘Aesthetics matter. Attractive things work better.’