So the cost of designing your website becomes an issue - if you’re setting up an e-commerce site that you expect to bring in hundreds of thousands in sales dollars each month, you’re best advised to turn to a professional. The basic question you need to ask yourself in this situation is this: what is it worth to you to have a professional, smoothly functioning website that will increase sales and add to your bottom line?
Generally, websites serve four main functions. In no particular order, those functions include entertainment, information, advertisement and direct sales. The best websites incorporate more than one function or category into their web design, thus making the website of greater interest to a wider audience.
You now need to evaluate whether or not you possess the technological and creative skills to design your own website, or should you hire a professional designer? Cost is frequently the determining factor in this area. Many website owners think they possess the requisite skills to build an effective website - it’s only when they discover how much work it really is that they’re ready to relinquish control to a professional.
A website that provides entertainment typically isn’t sales driven, meaning it is meant to amuse and entertain without being directly linked to a product or service. An example of such a website would include a movie review website, or a joke-of-the-day site. Personal websites, such as one you put up yourself with your life story or family history on it could be categorized as either entertainment or informational in nature.
An investment business, on the other hand, wouldn’t be advised to use hot pink colors and teeny-bopper music on their site - investors are looking for brokers who are serious about handling and investing money. A more sober and somber look to this website would be in keeping with the functionality of the site.
Many times website owners approach a professional designer and ask: what would it cost to set up a simple, 10-page website? This question usually brings back a flood of questions from the designer - what exactly are you looking for? Do you need a custom logo designed for your company? How about a merchant gateway? Inventory options? Are you planning on using videos on your site? What about integrating flash components into your overall presentation?
In today’s world, businesses in particular are viewed as being behind the times if they don’t have a website - but having a poor website is almost as bad as having no website at all. Interesting graphics, flash features, videos, easy navigation - all these items are usually components of a well-designed web site. Unfortunately, most business owners lack the technical and graphic skills to properly design a functional and effective website that will promote their business and produce sales.
Who you’re trying to target as an audience or customers can frequently determine the look and feel of your website design. For example, if you’re attempting to sell Barbie® dolls, you may consider that your audience is girls ranging in age from 8 to 12, so your website should include graphics and colors that appeal to that specific age group - some cool music and bright neon colors might be appropriate in this case..
Whether you are in the process of setting up a simple personal website that outlines your family history, or a more complex website that offers hundreds or even thousands of products, web design is a critical component of style, presentation and effective marketing.
Websites that could be considered strictly informational could be a news outlet whose purpose is to inform the public, or a scientific or weather channel site. The objective here is to disseminate information without consideration of selling a specific item.
The final category of website design is that of generating direct sales, whether by e-commerce methods - meaning selling products and services solely online, or e-commerce plus mail order options, which means the product or service can either be sold in person or online. An example of this type of website could include such businesses as a bookstore or a wedding supply store.
Before you think about the options of designing your own web page, or hiring a professional web designer to assist you, there are some basic questions you need to ask yourself, and come up with the answers that fit your specific situation. If you don’t have a clue as to what you want, just a general idea, head straight for a professional designer who can turn your ideas into a solid reality.
Encryption and security are significant considerations for your website - with identity theft and credit card fraud on the rise, it’s increasingly important to ensure that your customers are as safe as possible from internet hackers and thieves. E-commerce is possible because commercial websites can process credit card and other forms of electronics safely and securely, thus ensuring customer financial information is kept confidential.
Once you’ve established the purpose and functionality of your website, it’s time to ask yourself more questions. Who is your target audience? Are you setting up a website to sell Barbie® dolls? Or trying to develop online sales for an investment business?
How fast technology changes! Twenty years ago the Internet was an infant struggling for recognition and acceptance - in today’s world it’s difficult to imagine how we survived without it. The Internet has forever changed the way businesses operate, made personal communication instantaneous, and truly opened up world markets.