The Process of Designing Your Web Site
Most people do not know where to start or what is involved in creating a web site. Here are some basic steps that outline the process. Thinking about each step as you look over the list will help you determine the look and feel of your personalized solution.
* Find web sites similar to what you imagine for your website. In addition, find a few sites that you do not like. Save the URLs (addresses) of these sites. The contrast and comparison will be instructive in creating the perfect site for you.
* Gather information about your company. This information may be in electronic or paper form. Find advertising information, text files, brochures, logos, photos, etc. This body of information helps form the content of your web site.
* Contact us to set a free consultation appointment to discuss your goals and needs. Together we discuss the web sites you have researched and the goals for your own site. We also review the information you have gathered.
* During the meeting, we brainstorm the visual look and structure of the web site. (We work together to establish the number of pages, the structure of the pages, links, images, etc.)
* S2 Web Sales and Services assists you in the process of registering a domain name and selecting your web hosting plan. We discuss the hosting options available at 1K2.net and decide on the annual or monthly package that meets your needs.
* S2 Web Sales and Services provides an accurate quotation of the final cost. The quote outlines the pages agreed upon and the final price.
* While S2 Web Sales and Services begins work on the graphics and structure of the site, we work with you to create content for the pages. If you want to create the final content, S2 Web Sales and Services will proof it for you. If you prefer to create a rough draft, S2 Web Sales and Services will finalize the text for your approval.
* After receiving your content, S2 Web Sales and Services publishes a temporary copy of the web site for your review.
* We take care of any custom elements that you have requested: scripting, programming, multimedia elements or whatever else may come up.
* Both you and S2 Web Sales and Services review the site for edits, errors, or desired changes.
* S2 Web Sales and Services publishes the final site. We submit your site to several major directories where the site will be quickly cataloged by the major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN.
If you prefer to use another hosting service, you must provide S2 Web Sales and Services with the necessary information to publish the site or we will give you the final web site to publish yourself with no further support. We design sites based upon having certain permissions and accesses and we are familiar with the servers at 1K2.net we do not offer troubleshooting for other hosts.
S2 Web Sales and Service’s Design Philosophy
- Professional Appearance
- Good Content
- Simple, Practical Design
- Search Engine Friendly Design
- Easy Navigation and User Friendly Interface
- Avoid Annoying “flashy” Techniques and Slow Pages
If you follow these simple design techniques you will end up with a great looking web site that will be easy to use and that will rank well on the search engines.
Your website is the first impression of your business. You want to give a professional appearance that is appropriate to your type of business.
Would you have an amateur construct your storefront or office? Would you hire an amateur to paint the sign in front of your business? Would you hire an amateur to design your web site? No, because your business needs a professional appearance. The same is true on the Internet. Hire a professional web designer to create a professional online presence and you won’t regret it. We have the specialized knowledge, programs and tools to do the job right.
We design an appearance that is appropriate to your business. We will help build or establish your brand.
Nothing makes your site more valuable than solid, useful, well-written content. Many potential clients will say, “We don’t need words on our website, no one reads them anyway.” That’s just not true, and even if it were – how do you think the Search Engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN decide where to put your website in a list of results? They don’t care about pictures; they care about well-written information. People care about words too, but usually only the one small bit of information they want right now.
While it’s unlikely that anyone will read everything on your website, each reader is looking for specific information – and he or she needs to find it. Reader tend to scan headlines and bullet lists looking for something that catches their interest.
Good content is useful to the readers, but it also plays a crucial role in getting your site to rank well in the search engines.
Simple Practical Design and Navigation
We prefer simple, practical navigation for most websites. Blinking text, pop ups, and unusual navigation confuse and distract the average computer user. We use standard design elements so that your reader doesn’t have to wonder where to click.
Our sites are designed to work well at the 800×600 resolution. While Windows XP offers a standard resolution of 1024×768,you don’t want to close the door on people with older computers or using cell phones via the mobile web. The mobile web is the next horizon for the internet, an internet access point in your pocket, you want to be accessible to this emerging trend. With the new phones that are coming out you can show people your web site wherever you are.
The shorter line length of the 800×600 resolution is also easier on the eyes. With longer line lengths readers have to strain their eyes or turn their heads slightly. It’s also more difficult to return to the left margin without losing track of the next line. Even so, our sites look fantastic at any resolution! We will use the extra space for design elements that will help you build your brand.
We will always consider search engines. Many web designers and search engine optimization companies have all sorts of ways to try to trick search engines. We don’t use tricks. We use good content, clever use of keywords and tagging all help achieve results. (Besides, the major search engines frown on tricks and might kick you out of the search results all together if they find your site using these “black-hat” techniques.)
Annoying stuff looks unprofessional and aggravates your readers. Canned music, blinking text, flashing banners, pop up windows, textured backgrounds, and hard-to-read text encourage users to leave your site. Remember K.I.S.S?
Avoid Slow Pages
File sizes are important. Large pages take longer to load than small pages. Many users have broadband connections, but there are still plenty of dial-up users and some phones have a cache limit and will break up your page or reject it altogether. Your site has to work for everyone!
Don’t make the your users wait for slow pages to load. Many users have broadband, but you need to consider your audience. Fast pages will keep your reader’s interest. Slow pages will drive them away. We can make even the largest photos load very fast to make sure everyone is happy.