Web Design Guide from a Pro

[WebMonkey08]

I kept tabs on this guy at this SEO Forum I particpate in, he always bragged that he was a Professinal Marketter. Although he was very harsh to ppl at the Forum, I felt I learned allot reading his advice and critiques. Anyways, here's something on his webpage www.netzonefl.com in regards to Web Design. This may give you some insight into my mindset, here at least here at this Forum..


Just looking for a Web Development Guide,

If you are hiring someone to build your site or doing it yourself, you really need to read this.

It is not difficult to put up a web site. For the most part it is technically easy. The difficult part is determining what the goals of your site will be and implementing objectives to obtain those goals.

This is not a tech help, it is a guide to web site development for Developers and their customers.

Do you really need a web site? If you are a small retail business and you just want to throw up a cheap site and start competing with the Web big boys - forget it. They'll simply out spend you, and sell their product cheaper then you can buy it.
But you can still make money, increase sales, promote your business, and increase customer satisfaction!

Example: If you own a small beauty salon and want to sell products on your site and make a living at it - no, that's not going to happen, unless you are willing to make an investment of time and money. But you can direct your customers to the web site so they can become familiar with your staff, view hair styles, find out about your business, you can offer online products to current customers as a convenience, newsletter promotions. Your business cards and advertising include your site address. You can keep your customers up to date, start a mailing list, have online presentations (newest styles - prom updates), your employees each have an email address and the site may even become cost efficient. What's more, new customers will feel at ease - you become familiar and friendly.

Goals and objectives

Over the years we have designed many web sites for businesses, large and small. Most just thought it was a good idea to have one "Corporate Presence", and "Oh, I like blue buttons, We want lots of blue buttons!".

So lets be realistic.

Here's the facts:

If you want a successful web site you need clearly defined goals and objectives. What do you expect the site to do for you and what you're going to do to get there! Not only clearly defined but "Quantitative".


Design:

You, an employee or a professional can design your site and it can still turn out to be just an expensive eyesore. So if you are about to re-design or have a new site created this may help.

An "If that's what they want that's what they'll get", attitude may cost your company thousands. Most companies hire a web designer and immediately tell him how to do his job. Be careful - you may get exactly what you ask for. In most cases that's exactly what happens. The site is designed to the companies specifications with lots of input from the part time, in-house web expert. An un-reputable or inexperienced developer may take the money and run.

It takes months before the company becomes frustrated with the sites progress (by progress I mean toward the goals of the site, not the way it looks).

Warning to the CEO :

We've designed sites that cost $60,000.00 to start, and $10,000.00 or more a month to maintain. If $5,000.00 - $20,000.00 is wasted because of an in house expert, the CEO is normally not a happy camper. The catch phrase during development is - authority must be commensurate with responsibility.

This happens all the time. Don't blame your employee, you let it happen and more than likely he has incorporated "your ideas" into the design. Your employee has limited experience, knowledge base, and no motivation to tell you that your ideas (or his boss's) are in left field. You and your employees have designed a shinny new race car, towed it to the track, but no one put in an engine or transmission.

The look of the site is of minor significance (compromise) - It's the stuff you don't see that counts.

The odds are you will not pay attention to this section and the meeting will happen anyway. But you have to pay for the dog and pony show.


How do you hire a web designer?

Here is what should happen:
Once you or your representative contact the web design firm or independent designer, he should start compiling data about your competition and your current site. He should start doing research. He will use diagnostic tools to find out who your competitors are and examine their sites technical construction and content. The designer should also be studying the product and terms. When he comes to see you, he should know a lot more about your business on the web than you do.

What normally happens When you hire a Developer:

A meeting is held, you and members of your staff, will tell the designer what kind of site is wanted, all the pretty colors and buttons you want . Your in-house marketing expert will offer his philosophical dissertation and everyone will throw their "I Think", in. You may want to leave now, because you see your employees have the situation under control. Don't, We're about to save you lots of money! Everyone is done tooting their horns for you, It's time to do business.

What should happen:

We're professionals, years of experience, thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment and software, to analyze, develop and market on the internet. We will not use the words, "I think", in any meeting related to the development of an online marketing strategy. Recommendations must be based on accurate analysis of statistical data. When we come to you for the first meeting, we know more about your online business than you do. We've already done the research.

We then ask questions - lots of questions and make recommendations:

Will we just be putting up a site or maintaining it?
What is the goal of the site? (remember quantitative)
What materials does the company have (video, photo's, ads, manuals, logos, etc.)
Is the site to be maintained after it's functioning (a site is never complete)
Will we be providing tech support to you web visitors?
Who will be the company liaison (contact) and what authority will they have.
What is the budget allocated for the site?
Is there a deadline?
Will personnel be allocated for customer support?
Live presentations?
Pay-per-view?
Payment methods?
and on and on....

[sphinx]

i can host the site if you want? we just need to split the domain prices,