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6 Tips for Top-Notch Web Site Design
If you're looking to build a web site or update your current one, consider these design tips that could boost your business' success.

May 2007

If a web site is difficult to use, doesn't reflect the image of a business, or contains outdated content, business owners could run the risk of turning off customers and prospects. And that means they not only lose credibility in the marketplace, they lose revenue opportunities.

The when and why of redesign
Businesses redesign their web sites for a variety of reasons. "I think many companies decide to redesign their site because something has changed," says Emily Cotler, owner and creative director of Waxcreative Design Inc. and co-author of Web Redesign 2.0. Either they have a new product, their industry position has changed, or their audience has changed their expectations, habits, or technological capabilities. But it's often hard to identify how the web site should be redesigned to meet the challenge of those changes."

If you're considering a redesign, ask yourself why. Has your business grown or changed? Do you want to upgrade to a more professional look? Do you want to update a static HTML site to a more dynamic site? Or does your site simply have problems that need fixing?

Once you've outlined your goals, you'll know whether you just need to alter a few things or completely overhaul your site.

Tips for a successful design
These six design tips can help you build or rebuild a web site:

1. Users should be able to easily find what they are looking for. In other words, the site should be functional. The content should be current and relevant. "It's just good planning to ask a lot of questions and analyze the site from all vantage points before any building commences," Cotler says. "But you need to be asking questions the whole way."

2. Look at your prospective online competition. Go ahead. It's important to see what they're doing. In fact, you should always keep a close eye on your competition for new technologies, keywords, and new ways to communicate. After all, web surfers are fickle. If you're not keeping pace, you could be losing customers to more dynamic sites.

3. Define your audience and listen to them. Review your customer data to determine who your customers are. Then, ask them what they'd want from your site. "I would design an informal survey to go to a good bunch of people to start getting feedback," says Sherie Presta, owner of Chicago web design firm Sherie Presta Creative Services. "You'll start hearing the same things over and over and it'll become clear what they want. They'll be doing your homework for you, because they look at everybody else's sites, too."

4. Compile your "wish list." Once you've defined the ideal user experience and the functionality you need to achieve it, start compiling a list of things you'd like to accomplish. You probably won't be able to do everything at once, so prioritize the items on your list and do what you can, when you can. Here are a few things to consider, if you're not doing them already:

• Capture customer data and add dynamic elements like surveys, newsletters, or regular promotions to make your site more interactive.
• Increase page loading speed by optimizing graphics so they're small in size.
• Improve navigation with a system that's simple and consistent from page to page.
• Make your web site easy to update. Creating your site with Yahoo!'s new Site Solutions makes updates simple and hassle-free for do-it-yourselfers who don't have technical staff.

5. Apply your brand personality to your web site. "This is where you look at your colors, your typography, and all the traits of your brand, which will come through as an overlay of the user experience and functionality," Presta says.

6. Budget time and money. Don't take a step before you know how much time and money your project will require. If you've done all your homework, you'll be off to a good start.