If you do use a professional web designer, make sure you both understand the scope of the work to be done. A professional typically will have expertise in two areas: technical and creative.
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.
The most widely used and effective form of encryption is SSL - or Secure Socket Layer - which simply means that the data transfer between your website, as well as any data entered by your customers, such as credit card information, is encrypted or encoded when transferred between the customer’s browser and your server. This technology isn’t foolproof in terms of invincibility, but it does assure your customers that their information cannot be seen or decoded by a hacker while the data is in transit.
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.
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..
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.
One of the first questions you need to ask yourself is: what is the purpose of this website? Is it to generate sales for your business? To communicate your view of the world? Act as a forum for expressing new ideas? Distribute information? What is the objective you’re trying to accomplish?
The creative portion can encompass such things as designing that custom logo for your business, or creating a conceptual design that takes your original ideas or goals and refines them into a stunning site to showcase your products or services.
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.
A merchant gateway acts as an interface between your website and your bank - it allows customers to place orders using a credit card, or sometimes an e-check, or Paypal, or some similar method of transferring money electronically - the customer gets the product or service ordered, you get the money transferred into your bank account. A gateway essentially functions in the same manner as a credit card processing machine in a brick-and-mortar store.
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.
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?