Looking for the Right Web Site Design, But Have No Clue Where to Start?

Well, I have some ideas. A few days back I wrote “Looking for the PERFECT Color Scheme For Your Web Site, Company Colors or Blog???“. I thought it would be a little thing I added and no big deal…no one would probably notice. Well, 184 page views and about 50 emails later I realized that many of my readers are interested in design ideas, so here is another post on the subject

Where to Look?

You can always look on the web and find sites you like, but that could take forever. So I have some ideas:

• Template Monster- They have thousands of templates and you can look at styles, colors, designs…You will see so much your head will spin, but at least you have some ideas. I always look at the actual page of the template (not just the pop up) and save the example as a picture. It saves it with the template number so you can always go back and find it. If you don’t have the number don’t plan on EVER seeing it again. The site is huge! Also, if you are doctor look in the restaurant section. You don’t have to stick with your business category!
• Look at Web Design Web Sites- Almost all have portfolios! Look thru them and bookmark pages.
• Look at Blog Design Companies- I love looking at blog design web sites. Their examples are very modern, interactive and attractive.

What You Should Be Looking At!

• The BACKGROUND OF EVERY SITE YOU LOOK AT- Many people think they want a dark grey background or textured dark blue. Well, these can be done well, but they can also be murder on the eyes. The whole point of a web site is for people to read the text and be sold; if they can’t read the text you can’t sell anything.
• NAVIGATION- Do you like it at the top? On the side? At the bottom (no, please). Decide where you like the navigation ahead of time and you can rule out many things faster.
• STYLE- Do you want modern? Very professional? Warm? What do you want people to see? What makes you feel comfortable?
• FLASH- How much Flash do you want? If you want ANY find a web designer that has an SEO staff that knows what to do with Flash.
• COLORS- You may have a color scheme in mind, but you need to keep your mind open to additional colors. Web designers and graphic designers know colors well. The combinations are amazing, like at Kuler- I LOVE watermelon!
• INTERACTIVE FEATURES- Do you want people to be able to pay you online? If yes, how? Do you like polls or surveys? Do you want to have a newsletter sign up? Do you want a blog on your web site? Look at all of these things as you review websites.
• THE PAGES- What kind of pages do you need or want? Do you want a legal resources page after seeing it on another legal site? Do you like individual bio pages? As you review sites look at the names of the pages and determine which ones you like and want.

Your Dream Web Site List

Now write it all down, bullet your ideas, create posters or a scrap book. Just combine everything you have- printed pictures of web sites (circle or point at the parts you like!), a list of colors, your dream navigation…everything. When you have all of these things together and you go to a web designer and say “Here you go!” you save time and money and you save the web designer time and money.

When clients come in with no clue of what the want a web designer can try to get the info out of them, but that doesn’t always work! Then you have this irritating cycle of receiving examples of web sites you don’t like over and over and your web site launch is delayed! big time!

One of the Biggest Complaints all Web Designers Discuss With Me

The web site is done, but there is no copy. The client doesn’t know how to do it, doesn’t want to do it and/or doesn’t have time to do it. So, I get a phone call and I am told that content is needed NOW and my hourly rate doubles. Why? Because I have other work to maintain.

 If I suddenly have to stop and write (and usual handle the optimization for) an entire web site it means I am not going to be sleeping much for a few days. The client hates to pay it, but they could have planned ahead of time.

My suggestion?

Find an SEO Copywriter as soon as you hire the web designer. Everything will run more smoothly, less changes will be needed later and your web site will launch on time.

Also, get all your pictures, files, bios and anything else you want on the site together and have it ready ASAP. This also helps the process move more efficiently.

Creating a web site can be very stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Planning ahead is the best way. Nothing ticks a web designer off more than finishing a site and then getting a phone call saying, “Um, I saw this other web site and I really liked “this” and “that” so, can you do that???”. I can’t write the feeling well enough. It is kind of like being shot and being thrown into a rage simultaneously.

I think these ideas may help you streamline your web design process. Good Luck!

Melissa- SEOAware.com

Related posts:

1. How Much Would You Pay to Advertise in a Recycling Bin?
2. Restaurant Owners, 10 Things Your Website Needs to Be Successful

3 Responses to “Looking for the Right Web Site Design, But Have No Clue Where to Start?”

1. Blogging Tipps die Du unbedingt lesen solltest » Allgemein says:

   August 31, 2007 at 9:10 am

   [...] Looking for the Right Web Site Design, But Have No Clue Where to Start? by Melissa Fach- SEOAware.com [...]
2. You Now HAVE to Sell Through a Computer Screen to Be Successful SEO Aware says:

   July 22, 2008 at 10:25 am

   [...] Looking for the Right Web Site Design, But Have No Clue Where to Start? [...]
3. GoDaddy Website Tonight - Answers, Tips, Help, “How to Article”, Review, Examples SEO Aware says:

   August 25, 2008 at 10:41 am

   [...] Looking for the Right Web Site Design, But Have No Clue Where to Start? [...]