 Website
Planning - 5 Steps to An Effective Design
By Fiona Freisen of Ecotoque CommunicationsA
website requires more than a domain name and a “Welcome to my home on the
Internet” introduction. This article will lead you through the pre-planning
stages of your website that only you, as the business owner, can do. An
organized and focused approach will result in a website that represents your
business and does what you want it to do - boost sales, of course!
Step 1: Create a Vision - Write down the main purpose of your website
and three goals that you wish to achieve. Put yourself in your customers’
shoes to determine what kind of information they will need to lead to a
purchasing decision.
Step 2: Organize Your Content - Decide on five menu items for your
website and write each one down at the top of a blank piece of paper. Two
items that you must have are “Home” and “Products/Services.” You may also
include “Prices”, “Expertise”, “Testimonials”, “Portfolio”, and “Contact”,
etc. If you are unsure, look up websites in your industry to see what they
have chosen.
Under each menu item, jot down ideas for the content. Your “Home” page must
include a concise description of who you are and what you do. Your
“Products/Services” page must include short, unambiguous descriptions of the
items you sell. Make sure all contact information is listed so potential
customers can easily reach you. If you cannot generate enough content for a
menu item, then delete it. Pages that are perpetually “coming soon” or
“under construction” do not add value to your website.
Step 3: Collect Your Graphics - Begin with a logo. If you don’t have
one, you need one. A logo forever visually-identifies your business in a
one-second glance. Hire a professional graphic designer to create your logo;
the long-term benefits are well worth the initial expense.
Next, go through photographs and images that you currently use to promote
your business. They should be professionally done and clearly portray
yourself, your products or your services. An absolute necessity is a
professional portrait of you. Make a list of the photographs you need and
arrange to have them taken.
Decide on a graphic theme for your website that relates to your field of
business. Collect examples from magazines and clip art, or roughly sketch
them yourself and discuss the options with your web designer.
Step 4: Sketch Your Website Layout - Use a blank piece of paper and draw
a large box to represent a computer monitor. Envision your website in this
space. Consider whether you would like your menu items to be arranged
vertically or horizontally, and where the main content of each page should
appear. Where will you place your identifying logo or header? How will you
arrange the descriptions and photographs of your products or services? How
would you like to display your portfolio or testimonials? Your web designer
can advise you on your website layout, but a bit of forethought provides you
with a great head start.
Step 5: Decide on Design Details - Colors, fonts and other design
details add personality and prestige to your website. If you already have a
color scheme for your business, this is a good place to start. If not, keep
your eyes open for colors and color combinations that attract you. Bring
color samples to your web designer to discuss how they can be incorporated
into your website.
Determine which types of fonts look best for your business and bring these
samples to your web designer. Your web designer will likely have a much
larger selection of fonts to choose from, and can refine your options.
If you are not confident in making good design decisions, consider
descriptive words for your website. For example, a “clear, professional and
sophisticated” website will look much different from one that is “fun,
flashy and techno.” Ask your web designer to help with the design details
you are going for.
Congratulations, you are well on your way to a purposeful website that
represents your business! Although you may work on these 5 steps with your
web designer, only you can be sure of the final content and design.
Pre-planning saves time and money and results in more powerful websites.
Fiona Friesen owns Ecotoque Communications, a graphic & web design company.
Call 403 397.1487. To request a website design worksheet, visit
www.ecotoque.com
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