Web Design – 10 Things You Need to Know
If you’re in charge of organising your company website and choosing the right web design company, then maybe you know exactly what you want and need. If you’re not sure what you need, then here’s what you need to know.
1. It will help the web design company it will really help them if you have some idea of what you want. Perhaps you’ve got to use corporate branding and colours, or there’s an existing website that needs upgrading or modernising, or perhaps you’re starting with a blank slate.
2. If you have examples of some of the sites you like, in your industry and outside your industry, then this will be useful for the website designers. There might be a recurring theme in the navigation, or they might be more image-based.
3. Knowing which companies are doing well online in your industry, can help the website designers to try and incorporate some of the features or principles of these websites in order to help your website do well.
4. The website designers will be able to advice on colours and design principles and industry best practice. These guidelines will help to make sure that your website is easy to use.
5. If you tell your website company what they need to know about your business or products, it can really help make sure that you get the right website for your needs. You don’t want to have a huge ecommerce website that uses the latest technology and is all bells and whistles if you really need a very simple site with just a few pages.
6. If you’re paying for the designer’s time, remember that the more you change things, and want bits amending, then the more time it will take.
7. You’ll need to decide whether you want an ecommerce or brochure site. An ecommerce site will be ideal if you want to sell your products online, whereas a brochure site will be perfect if you just want to tell people about your services, or provide information for your visitors.
8. You might need to be aware of legal or industry standard requirements affecting your website. The products you sell might be unsuitable for younger people, or you might be offering legal or financial advice which needs to have a disclaimer.
9. You’ll also need to have some idea as to your future plans for your website. Will you need to be able to add ecommerce facilities? Will you want to add video reviews of your products, or want to encourage your visitors to send you’re their testimonials?
10. Whilst you might know a bit about websites, you won’t want to get carried away. Will social media or videos, or having an online game be appropriate for your target audience?
Now you know more about web design, and how you can make sure you get it right first time, perhaps now is the time to ensure that you have the right web design.