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.
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.
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.
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?
The technical portion of website design includes using the appropriate programming script, i.e. HTML or Javascript, to allow the site to function properly. A professional web designer should also provide a basic page outline and easy navigation, server management, such as where file should be stored, and site maintenance and updates, since glitches occur and you will need to update your company information periodically.
Personal websites, of course, should resonate with your personal style - an NFL player wouldn’t necessarily have a website with unicorns, butterflies and bouquets of flowers (although anything is possible!) Most personal websites reveal their owner’s beliefs, whether hateful or hopeful, productive or destructive, incoherent or concise. Be clear about your message - the more people can understand what you’re trying to say, the greater the chances they’ll spend more time exploring your website.
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.
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?