Paula G. Web Design

What I love most about articles that talk about tried and true tips for effective websites is that the fundamentals are not rocket science. The basics of a successful website hasn’t changed a great deal over the years despite the huge increases in added technology, features, and gizmos we can use.  Sure those things are great and I highly advocate using them if and where appropriate, but the foundational principles of doing it well and doing it right remain the same.

I was recently reading the MarketingVox article “How-To: 15 Tips for Effective Web Design” and it reinforced my belief that if you get the basics right, you are more than 90% there in terms of being effective.  Here are a few of my favorite tips from that article:

1. Use a consistent color scheme.

The colors of your site have a significant impact on readability. Avoid clashing colours that make visitors squint or — worse — give them headaches. One classic example: using bright red or yellow text on a black background, which is appallingly unattractive and difficult to read.

2. Use consistent typefaces and sizes.

Maintain a consistent font style and text size. Pick one typeface for most of your content and avoid deviating unless you are making distinctions (such as between body and header). Small text sizes can be difficult to read at higher resolutions.

Consistency is key.  It ties directly into your branding and user experience.  If in doubt, go with the maxim that “less is more”.  The most striking websites and brands are ones that are easy to use and are elegant in their simplicity.

This consistency can be easily maintained if your site is constructed properly using proper web standards. What you see is not what you get…so that idea of using any old editor to “do your own site” will in the long run create more headaches than it solves.

In keeping with the simplicity theme, the idea of making the site easy to use is paramount. I don’t care how big you are, if the site is hard to use it is a major turn off. I am in love with the Olympics but am losing my mind trying to get the NBCOlympics.com site to work for me. The videos I am yearning to see won’t work, I can’t find what I want, and I leave generally confused and frustrated.  They are the only game in town, but when it comes to you and your business, you don’t have the monopoly card to play. So…

15. Use a straightforward navigation system.

Make sure every section of your site is accessible from a clear and simple navigation system near the top of the page. It should stand out from the content. Too many links in one place makes usability difficult for users. Have a third party experiment with your site on the front-end to provide feedback on the flow of navigation.

Remember - as a user, if I can’t find it - it doesn’t exist to me.  Be strategic in your navigation and make it easy to use and understand. Always have someone else test it to make sure it not only works but is also intuitive.

Some of the other tips get a bit techy, but overall the article is a good one. Hop on over to read the entire post.

Whenever you are creating a new website it is imperative to begin with the end in mind. You might not have the time or resources to implement everything you ultimately want your website to do right away, but you need to plan taking the big picture into account. Why is this so important?

Besides the fact that beginning with the end in mind is simply a sound strategy for most things (just scan the chapters on this topic in Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” book if you want to go in depth), it is crucial for both the graphic designer and the web programmer so they can ensure they build a strong foundation for your site.

For instance, if you think only about the next 3-6 months and Phase I of your project which consists of just a few pages but fail to mention to your web team that in 12 months you’ll be rolling out and launching a large number of products for sale, you may find yourself with a site that cannot easily accommodate your business’ strategic plans and growth. I’ve been invovlved in more than one project in my 12+ years of doing this, especially while working internal to organizations, that went wildly over budget and awry because no one ever took the big picture into account. Read the rest of this entry »

Just recently a major upgrade to one of the most popular browsers was released. Firefox 3  is now available (and of course remains free). There was also an upgrade to the browser Opera 9.5.

So, my question to you is — do you know for sure your website works in these new browsers? Whenever I launch a new website I always test it in Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer 7.  There are definitely differences and if you’re not careful your site can end up looking, well, not quite like you hoped.

I wasn’t expecting Firefox 3 to pose any major challenges, since it is one of the most standards compliant browsers out there. Yet, I found, much to my chagrin as I was doing some developing that it was not working in Firefox.  Usually it is Internet Explorer that gives us web folks fits.  I ultimately resolved the problem but it got me wondering what else out there might be breaking.

That is when I stumbled upon a major website for my industry no longer works in Firefox.  Now this is a worldwide site used by thousands and thousands.  Suddenly none of the links on the home page work.  It works fine in Internet Explorer 7 but I am left stranded like a plane crash survivor when I try to use the site in Firefox.

As far as Internet Explorer is concerned, a new one is in the works. However, many people STILL aren’t using Internet Explorer 7, they stay stuck in the age of the dinosaur with Internet Explorer 6 which quite frankly has an unpleasant way with websites built properly according to current standards.  So, I can say that Leah MacLean took the words right out my mouth when she said on her blog this week:

In my book there is no reason for anyone to be using Internet Explorer 6 anymore (it is 7 year old technology)!! In fact if you or anyone you know still uses IE6 then let them know it is time to upgrade.  Even if they don’t want to move away from the Internet Explorer brand to a better browser like Firefox or Opera, then at least to Internet Explorer 7 (IE7).

Absolutely! It is free and will make your online life much easier.

What are the top core values of your business? Who are you and what do you stand for when it comes to your business?

I believe orienting your business (and life for that matter) around your values is the surest way to ensure you are on track and feel great about what you do and offer every day. Not to mention I’ve found that people who orient around their values are far more successful at wealth creating than anyone else.

However, many people have trouble thinking in these terms, especially when faced with their website. One of the best questions (and often a stumper) that I ask when speaking with potential clients is this:

• What are your top 5 values? What would you like clients to say about you? (ex: honesty, integrity, timely, quality)

When someone visits your site, what do you want it to say? Do you want it to scream that you are a person of integrity? Are you super high quality? Perhaps speed, cost, or ease is what you value most. Whatever it is, your site needs to speak it loudly and clearly.

Whether you already have a website or are just planning for one, take some time today to ask yourself this question. Just notice what comes up for you…

If you’d like the complete website planner - you can get it by signing up on the sidebar.

As a business owner who wants a website that works for you, why should you care about web standards? I’m all about a plain English approach so while I don’t expect you to have to understand or navigate the world of standards, validators, and well written code, I do expect you to care about what’s under the hood.

Before I give you some hard and fast reasons why what’s under the hood of your website matters, let me give you an analogy to help you understand what I am talking about. Because, after all, if you’re an end user of a website, and not a programmer, it is possible that you have no idea what code standards are or how they could affect you.

Let’s say you are in the market to buy a new car. You want one that not only looks good but also feels good. You want safety, reliability, and to feel a sense of pride when you drive. Business has been good to you so you decide you are going to splurge and buy a new BMW. Nice! Those 3 letters say a lot. Now, let’s say that instead of going to a reputable dealer, you decide to buy it from a random friend. The papers are signed, and you’re all ready to drive away in your new piece of materialistic bliss. Off you go. Feels good to you. What no one told you though is that while it appears to look and feel good, in fact the engine was built by a 12 year old who had a class in machine shop and assembled all the parts according to a cliff notes guide he bought on eBay. Read the rest of this entry »

You know the old saying about buyer beware and do your own due diligence? Well the same holds true with promises made on the Internet regarding web services. Just because the Internet has exponentially increased the ease and cost-effectiveness of both doing business and buying products and services online doesn’t mean you don’t have to still be on your toes. I’m not talking about security issues, identity theft, or scams here. Sure those are always a concern. What I’m talking about are overinflated promises regarding what a service will do for you and how long it’ll take to implement it.

I recently worked with a client who signed up for a great lead generation tool. And it is a good tool. I’m not disputing that. What got me rolling, though were the promises made about it. Specifically,

Adding <this great service we offer> to your web site takes less than 1 minute, and no HTML or other programming skills is required to do so.

Now that is swell IF your site has no design template that can be goofed up by inserting their deprecated code and if you choose to use their hosted service at an extra fee. It doesn’t say that here, though. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve succeeded in driving traffic to your website. Once these visitors get to your site, is it clear what you want them to do?

No matter how much you love your website or how much time and money you sink into it, the truth is the time you have to grab a visitor’s attention is barely longer than the blink of an eye. As Content Marketing Today states in their article “6 Essential Lessons Your Website Should Learn from a Shopping Mall”:

I was surprised to see that a talented website window designer said interestingly, You have only five seconds to capture the attention of prospective customers walking by. That sounds pretty darn familiar to Web marketers because you have less than 10 seconds to capture your Web visitors’ attention.

Less than 10 seconds. Now that is short. And, remember that it is an average. If you’re anything like me when I surf the net, it can sometimes be even quicker. That means you need to grab their attention and move them into action quickly. Read the rest of this entry »

When I hit a website, I instantly look at the timeliness and accuracy of content. If peeking in the virtual windows reveals nothing but dust and cobwebs I immediately surf away. This holds true whether I am literally out shopping for a product or simply doing research on potential service providers. My assumption is that if they don’t care about the image they are putting forward and how they are serving their prospects, how will they treat me when I work with them? How reliable will they be?

Now, just for the record, I am not an utter and complete website snob. When I say that I want to see a strong and up to date presence that doesn’t mean it has to be a $5,000 slickly designed site with a ton of bells and whistles. In fact, I am into simplicity and a clean look as I am sure you can tell from the design on my website. What I do want to see is some indication that someone is home inside that website and they are still fully open for business and ready to serve. Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I was having a conversation with a potential client when she started apologizing for not being better with technology and not having had any success building her own site. I get this a lot. I am not sure why, but it seems web design and financial planning are the two main fields where people for some reason think they should be able to do it all on their own. I mean, I have yet to hear a colleague or client say “I have this painful tooth, but if only I were better at dental surgery I could get this fixed right up in my spare time.” Sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it? Yet that seems precisely the line of thinking many solo and small businesses take when it comes to their website and Internet Marketing.

Now, if you are dead set on taking the DIY route, I am not here to stop or criticize you. It is your business and the choice is ultimately all yours. However, I would like to put forth a compelling list of 7 reasons why it is not the best use of your time or money to do so.

1) Do you consider a website a once and done project? Are you prepared to make an ongoing investment in writing content, updating the site, and maximizing your technology investment so customers can find and buy from you? On the web content is king so unless you only want a virtual brochure, you need to be ready to invest ongoing time on your site on a regular basis (at least monthly). A team of professionals can help you navigate these waters and make it easy for you to do so. Read the rest of this entry »