Seven Tips for Successful Web Design and Promotion
By Lee Luke Samson
If you're thinking about having a website built, it's important for you to have a clear
idea of the process before you begin. Your website could be a profitable business venture for
you, but only if you've really done your research ahead of time. Many people begin investing
in their new websites before they've really thought out each step and end up wasting money
on sites that never see fruition. However, with some simple planning and research, you can
set yourself on the right track toward developing a successful website. Here are seven tips
for web design and promotion to get you started.
1. Survey the Market and Research Your Competitors
Before you get ahead of yourself and begin hiring a web designer, take some time to survey
the market and research your competitors. Look at what other types of websites are out there
and see if anyone is doing something similar to your plan. Consider how many people are running
similar websites, as well as how professional their websites look. This will help you to determine
whether or not it's worth setting up your own site, before you've invested too much in it.
To help ensure the success of your website, you should begin finding a niche market that
you can target. You may be tempted to attract any and all customers that you can but you'll
actually have greater success targeting a very specific demographic. Think extensively about
who your potential audience members are and what they would be most interested in. Then, you
can begin to develop your website around these ideas.
2. Brainstorm Design Ideas and Figure Out What You Like
Once you've thought a little more about your site's purpose, you should now think about
your ideas for the design. You'll need to consider the best way to present your message or
to feature your products to audience members. Keep in mind that people tend to skim websites
looking for something interesting or eye-catching, so make sure that the most important elements
of your site are featured prominently.
The best way to figure out what you like is by looking at other websites. You can make
a list of things you do and don't like, in order to show your web designer. Look at the designs
and colours of other websites, as well as their use of text or images. Think about the pages
functionality, as well. This type of list can help you to get clear on what you're looking
for in your website and will also help your designer to implement your vision.
3. Determine Your Budget
Figure out what you can reasonably afford to spend on your website design and begin to
look for designers in that price range. It's best to contact a few web design companies ahead
of time, in order to get an idea of general pricing. If the designers you talk to are telling
you that your budget is too low, you may need to raise more money or lower the scale of your
vision for the site.
Keep in mind that quality web design is not cheap. Too many people don't put enough money
into their web design budget and their sites suffer for it. If you want a website that will
look professional and that will really engage your visitors, it's important to set your budget realistically.
4. Research Your Options and Choose a Web Designer
Now you're ready to begin searching for a web designer. Research your options and look
for a web designer that has experience in building similar websites. Most web design companies
keep an online portfolio where you can see examples of their past work and see their design
styles. You can also check out reviews of designers on third party websites like Which Web
Design Company. Again, it's important to remember that quality web design requires an investment
on your part. Web design is an area in which you truly get what you pay for.
Before hiring a web designer, make sure that you can communicate well with him or her.
The designer will be an important part of your team as you work toward building your website
and beyond. It's also important that you and your web designer are able to see a similar vision
so providing a detailed specification will be extremely helpful but we will cover that in a moment.
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