Website Design

Most companies, small or large have a website of sorts, however not all are designed with the customer in mind. Your website has a key role in communicating with your customers, so it should deliver a key element of your marketing strategy and must, at all times, reflect your brand.

You may know that your website is not working to it’s full potential, but can’t put your finger on why. Or you may have no idea just how much better your website could be working. Do you regularly review your website’s navigation? Do you have working guidelines to ensure all content is managed effectively, and do you really know what it’s like for a customer to visit your website?

A website designer can help you clarify what you want your site to achieve and how best to manage the content order and structure (information architecture), so that it’s easy to use and meets your business objectives. The best websites are easy to use, meet visitor expectations and communicate visually.

In order to keep things on track and on budget, it’s important to agree the scope of a web project early on. You may need your website to increase sales and attract new customers, to encourage feedback and interaction, or to decrease costs. A designer can help you prioritise your objectives and to understand what technology is best for you.

By working with you to understand your customers’ needs, search engine optimisation, and other online opportunities, a designer can help you develop a clear and effective online strategy.

When working with a web designer, look for someone who really understands how best to communicate your brand values online and who will develop a great user experience.

Static websites have pre-defined static information, e.g. information about your company, photos and documents. Dynamic websites change and customize themselves based on certain criteria; they operate more effectively and create a more engaged experience for the user.

What do you want your user to feel, experience and do? How easy is your site to use? Customers will go elsewhere if they can’t work out how to use it. Remember, your competitors are literally one click away.

A website designer will also help you decide what level of control you want over updating content, and therefore what technology suits your needs best. It’s not just about looking great, the ability for you to update your site regularly may be crucial, and working through your options early on in the project will make life much easier once the site goes live.

Don’t forget on-going maintenance; once your site is up and running you will inevitably need to make changes, so make sure you agree this with your designer and know what on-going budget will be needed.

Social media

It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were thumbing through copies of the Yellow Pages to find a great restaurant, or relying solely on TV ads to know what bleach is best. Now, we all go straight to the web for our information. Google has 200 million hits every day.

When it comes to SMEs, ‘social media’ is a fantastic opportunity that is often missed. With the rise in social media sites, such as Facebook, Linked In and Twitter, every business, no matter how small, can make the most of this effective and affordable business tool.

Social media can help you build new relationships, make you more visible, encourage familiarity and, most importantly, can build trust between you and your customers.

Website designers can help you develop your social media strategies, so that you are targeted in your activity. Is Twitter the right way to keep your customers informed of your latest exciting piece of news, or would a blog be better? Is YouTube better to showcase your training courses than to send out that old brochure?

Social Media is a constantly evolving range of possibilities. Whatever business you are in, a website designer can help you develop the right strategy.