Dwight M. Scott

The ways of the internet are crazy now. You can literally do almost anything from a website. It kinda reminds me of Wal-Mart…that’s a whole different story. Anyway, the reason why I mention it is because industry is booming and it’s time to take advantage of it.

I do not see why people wouldn’t want to incorporate their business with some kind if web aspect. It represents your business 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Innovation is the key to have a winning site. You need to have a leg up on your competitors. Do what they are doing but make it better or unveil a new revolutionary idea.

Getting a leg up means doing a lot of research. Visit your competitors sites, find your target market, and putting together a budget are just some if the main thing you need to do before getting your business on the web.

Now-a-days websites are used for all sorts of different purposes. However, when it comes to a company profile on a website you want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. When obtaining a website if you do not have one already, be sure to be descriptive of the services that you offer and you market your services towards the right audience. Ensuring that your market gets a understanding of what exactly you do is vital.

Another important aspect of your website if functionality and usability. Take your website to the next step by eliminating a commonly faced problem by your users. It may be something as simple as a contact form. I know of many instances of information that is too hard to find or contact information is not present. Saving users the time of opening their email client because your website has a mail contact form on your site just increased your usability and functionality of your website. Save your users the time and show you care by making their experience on your website more pleasant and worthwhile.

Keeping your content fresh and up to date will bring users and clients back to your site. Be sure to take advantage of a news or announcement system that you can implement on your site, even if it is manually updated. The landing or home page should be filled with the latest and freshest content with happenings, events, and/or promotions within the company. Static websites are becoming outdated. The web is evolving do not be left behind!

Now that you understand the basics of design and development, you are prepared to get your project started. I just want to do a quick re-cap on some important things you might be faced with during this process.

Never supplement design for development - especially when your site will be mainly dynamically driven. The functionality will more than likely be how you get your ROI. So weigh your options and consult with your web expert to get a course of action.

It’s usually less expensive to re-design than to re-develop. When you get your site re-developed there may be a chance that some additional design may be included to properly execute the development. Make sure you allocate enough in your budget to achieve the necessary steps to reach your goals.

This may be a lot of information to retain, but I can assure you it will do MORE good than harm. I can’t stress enough the importance of being prepared. This will eliminate headaches and make the project go more smoothly for you and the web company (hopefully me!).

Design plays a big factor when it comes to captivating your audience. Statistics say you have about three seconds to capture their attention to keep them on your site. The best way is usually through the appearance of your site. It doesn’t take long for somebody to criticize your site without giving it a “real” chance.

There are many different parts of design that most people overlook. The most common are:

• Banner
• Text
• Buttons
• Corporate Identity (logo)
• Content layout/placement
• Footer

Having a custom design for each of the above can get pricey. Although these things are nice, they are not always needed. One of the most efficient ways to cut back on design is through navigational links. A lot of people want the fancy buttons with roller overs. What they don’t realize is that it can cause their price to go up too. So, what you can do is…have regular text links! This is a simple way to cut back yet still have a pleasing design.

Don’t get me wrong, design plays a MAJOR role in web development whether it be Columbus, Ohio or not! It’s really about captivating your audience and grabbing their attention long enough to find out about your company or purchase your products/services. I personally recommend going with a fancy design when you have a brochure site (informational - not too much functionality) since there isn’t a lot the site would have to offer functionally anyway. As I said in part 2, I would always recommend the functionality over design since that’s usually what increases your revenue, productivity, or awareness. Keep in mind that this is only if your budget doesn’t allow you to get the full package up front. It is usually less expensive to re-design a site rather than re-developing one…

As I mentioned in part one, if your budget does not allow you to get the full package, you may be forced to scale your project down. There are a couple of things to consider when/if faced with this issue.

If you plan on having a website that requires a lot of functionality to meet your financial goals NEVER supplement development for design. Nine times out of ten; the development (functionality) of your site will be the way your site brings you money or increases your productivity. For example, if you are undergoing the process of gettting an online store and you are presented with a price that is a little too high, you should really consider cutting back on some of the design. You can still do tranactions with a decent design, but you can’t do transactions with a outstanding design with no functionality to support it.

So it is vital that you fully understand what it takes to reach your goal. The design can always be changed in later phases of your web development project. I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to focus on ROI when it comes to the web. I’ll touch on the importance of the design part in part 3.

A website can almost be determined as a twenty-four seven online representation of your and/or your company. That is why it is very important to have one that works properly and looks good at the same time. A lot of people fail to realize that the visual representation of your website can cost you business.

Having a poorly executed website not only sends a red flag to potential customers but puts a MAJOR cap on the growth of your business. Think about it…your website can work in so many ways for you or when you simply do not want to work - twenty-four seven! Why not make your website increase your revenue, generate more leads, and raise awareness for your business?

Now, I know you are wondering, “How can there be more than 1 part to design vs. development?” Sometimes, if your budget does not allow you to conquer both a fantastic fully functional back-end and pleasing design with the bells and whistles then you may be forced to scale down. I’ll further explain what to scale down on and what to sacrifice. If you should sacrifice at all. Stay tuned…

With the constant urge of society wanting information and resources quick and at their fingertips, you have to keep up. There is no better way to ensure you are in your target market’s face other than a website.

Practically, everything is handled via the web. Which makes obtaining a web presence for your company is crucial. I would almost recommend getting a website as soon, if not before you federally register your business. It is TOO important to a business’ success not to have one.

Websites are the best way to advertise and market your business. With the right Web Consultant, Developer, and Designer your business will reach a new level of growth. However, once you get your website live, be sure to frequently update your website. Users and search engines LOVE new and fresh content!