Georgetown Online Web and Graphic Design Blog - Website and Graphic Design Blog

Here’s a fact when it comes to web surfing: People do not read, they scan and click. Once a a visitor gets to your homepage, if there isn’t an immediate call to order to go deeper into your website, that visitor will be lost to your competitors forever. It literally takes just a few seconds.

With that in mind, here are a few steps that must be taken in order to keep web surfers at your site.

1. Define the website’s primary purpose. You must be specific about what you are trying to achieve with your website. Is it an open a channel of communications that will lead to a business relationship? Are you trying to attract potential customers to your office or brick and mortar store? Offer a public service or in-depth information? Solicit donations to a charity? Sell goods and services online? These are some of the goals websites can have, and once defined, everything included in your homepage should lead towards the attainment of your goals.

2. Offer a clear call to action. Each goal requires a different approach. What action do you want  visitors to take when they land on your homepage? If a visitor has to stop and wonder where to go next, you’ve already lost him.

Do you want site visitors to go to your office or store? Then, display your business hours, address, phone number and a map on the home page. Say, “Visit us!” Want them to sign up for a newsletter to start an ongoing relationship? Offer a sign-up form on the home page with words like: “Sign up for our newsletter!” Selling stuff online? Display a few key products on the homepage with “Buy now” and “View catalog” buttons.

Redundancy helps. The call to action should be offered in multiple places such as the main menu, within the text, on the images, and at the bottom of the page. Saturate the visitor with multiple options to go deeper into your site.

3. Eliminate distractions. A rule of thumb in web designing is “if it doesn’t help, it hurts”. If your text or images does not support the call to action and reinforce the purpose of the site, remove them. A flash movie showing the portfolio of an artist’s work may be perfect for his homepage, but subjecting a visitor to lets say a plumbing supplies website can be a nightmare. Offering an index of the products available with instructions on how to order them would be far more useful.

Try to view your site from your target audience’s perspective. Offer the services your customers want, and then make sure they’re easily obtainable. Your visitors will thank you!

• Website Developmment

Choosing a domain name for your website may be a little overwhelming for persons now venturing into the online game, so here are a few points to consider when confronted with this dilemma.

1. The Name. Domain names can be of any length up to 67 characters, but try to keep the name short and simple so that people can remember it and type it into the browser address bar with ease. Try using the name of your business so that people can identify with it. If your domain name is your business’ name, people will automatically know where to go. For example, when people think of Best Buy, they don’t have to wonder what URL to type into their browser to get there. The name of the business is also the URL.

2. The Domain Extension – Dot What? There are many different extensions available to choose from. I recommend the .com extension as the first choice for businesses since it is the most popular and people tend to remember that more readily. If your budget is not too tight, it is recommended that you also acquire the .net, .info, .org, .mobi and your country’s top level domain (.gy for Guyana) to protect your brand. The .mobi extension will come in handy when you decide to develop a mobile version of your website for mobile users.

3. Character Type. Domain names can only use letters, numbers, and hyphens (dashes). Spaces and symbols are not allowed, and domain names are not case sensitive. I warn against hyphenated names since people tend to forget the hyphens, and may end up at your competitor’s website. When the non-hyphenated domain name for your business is not available, you may however be forced to acquire the hyphenated version just to get the domain name you want.

4. Register Your Domain NOW. You may just be starting you business now and did not budget for a website, but you can register your domain now and develop the website at a later stage. Domain names are being snatched up like hot cakes, so delaying this task may leave you with “the-domain-name-that-no-one-wanted.net”. Just get out there and register before you loose the opportunity to get the name you really want, or be forced to pay a premium price after it’s taken, or try to retrofit your domain name to your business.

Click here to start the process of registering your Domain Name.

• Domain Name

I’ve had my fair share of requests from clients for the incorporation of different elements into their website projects, however I write here to warn against the use of some of these. While these elements may look cool, they may actually cause harm to the website and drive visitors away.

1. Welcome page. Do not waste your potential visitors time by subjecting them to some flash movie or introductory text before they can enter your main page. Upon entering a website, there must be a clear call to order, otherwise, you may loose visitors. Welcome pages have very little value when it comes to search engine optimization, and flash movies if used take long to load.

2. Audio. Audio embedded in web pages can startle a visitor when the file is fully loaded and begins to play without any warning. If audio is used, it should include controls which give the user the choice of playing it if they so choose.

3. Banner Ads. Unless you are an advertiser, banner ads or link ads can drive potential customers away if they over populate a web page. These should be used sparingly since you do not want to divert your visitors’ attention from your site. When used, banner ads links should be opened in a pop-up  window ensuring that visitors still have your window open.

4. Graphics. Unless the website is used to sell many different products, avoid using multiple images which can slow down the page load. A slow loading page drives visitors away. When used, images should be relevant to the text included in the page.

5. Colour. Colour used on web pages should be consistent throughout the website. Too much colour competes for attention, and in the case of text, it may be hard to read if not in contrast with the background.

6. Fonts. Avoid using colorful fonts, use of many fonts or use of unreadable fonts. A pleasant outlook keeps the visitors hooked on your site.

7. Copy. Avoid the temptation to place a wall of text on any given webpage. Text should be broken down into digestible chunks, and if necessary, spread over several pages. On the converse, too little text is not good for search engine optimization. A balance should be struck here. All said, the content MUST be relevant.

• Website Developmment