Whether you’re looking for your first website, or your considering a website re-design, you face several major decisions. Listed below are the steps critical to web design used by North Texas Web Design.
Understanding the main purpose of a site
In order to build an effective website, you must first understand the business or organization’s needs. Listed below are just a few of the more important questions you should consider:
- Are you trying to build a brand?
- Are you trying to sell a product over the web?
- Is your main goal simply advertising?
- Are you attempting to earn affiliate commissions for sales or leads
- Is your main objective to provide customer service or support
Selecting a web designer
Once you understand the goals of your website, your next step is probably to find a professional web designer. Listed below are some of the more common attributes North Texas Web Design can offer you.
- Knowledgeable HTML expertise
- Good graphic design skills
- Simple and intuitive web navigation
- Effective use of JavaScript, if appropriate
- Database programming
- Post website launch Search Engine Optimization and/or Search Engine Marketing
Effective Website Navigation
Simple and intuitive web navigation is critical to every website design. Web navigation that is difficult for visitors to understand will see them leave your website very quickly. Effective web navigation guidelines used by North Texas Web Design includes:
- Vertical (left or right side) menu
- Tabs – typically near the top of every page
- Search feature – important if the site has a large or complex database application
- Bottom links – typically found in the footer
- Site map – shows the website structure and has links to all pages
Create an Attractive Website
Why should a website look attractive? Why should it look professional? Your website is a reflection of you and your business. You might compare it to a sign over your store in a mall. If the lettering is crude or homemade looking, this is projected to your visitors. North Texas Web Design works hard to achieve a clean, attractive and professional web design for all our clients.
Create a Search Engine Friendly Website
There are several key rules to building an effective website that search engines love to visit and index. Every page on your website should be optimized for the web, not just the Home page. Listed below are the key guidelines followed by North Texas Web Design.
- Unique title for each page
- Meta tag description limited to no more than 250 words
- Effective use of H1 – H6 tags
- A quick and obvious Call to Action on the Home page
- Effective use of keywords and keyword phrases that are aligned with the text in the body of each page.
If you are looking to build a new website, or your existing website is in dire need of a “new coat of paint”, we invite you to consider North Texas Web Design.