Web design does not need to be complicated or clever. Your web site does not need to have the latest bells and whistles to get it’s message across. The most successful websites are simple, straight forward and easy to use. Take Google for example, an extremely popular website but extremely simple and pretty much idiot proof to use.

When designing a web site it is important that you have good coding that is professionally put together and is optimized for the sake of search engines and the internet. DO NOT use packages such as MS Word or MS Publisher to create the coding for your web site. Products like this produce enormous amounts of code for very simple design, thereby using up valuable space on the internet and making the page difficult to load quickly.

At Specnet we believe it is very important to keep your web site design simple, we believe very much on the Ronseal approach. “It does what it says on the tin!” how well has that phrase done in selling the Ronseal range of products? Very well and it’s a good example to follow, this is what we would refer to as the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach.

Therefore, your website should have the following elements to achieve this approach;

1. Colour and Branding
   

   If you are an established business then your web site should look like your business and it should incorporate your colour scheme and branding. Whatever your business you have invested time in your business name and company logo, so your web site should use it. This is your current customers comfort zone. When they find you on the internet they will instantly identify you and be happy that they have reached the right web site and not some other web site that has a similar name.

   If you are a new business then it is just as important to establish branding. Whether you start with the web site, business stationery or a shop front signage, they should all match and provide easy recognition for your customers.

2. Navigation
   

   Your web site should have an obvious navigation system. This is the means that your customer will use to explore all the pages on your web site. It doesn’t matter where the navigation appears on the page but it is important that it keeps the same look and location on all pages to make its use easy for the customer. There’s nothing worse than going from one page to another and having to work out how the navigation works each time on each page. This would be a great way to drive traffic away from your web site and straight to your competitor.

3. Contact Details
   

   To us at Specnet this has been the most obvious thing to have on your web site. PUT YOUR CONTACT DETAILS on every page. Surely the point of the web site is to get people to get in touch. MAKE it easy for them to find your phone number or email address. Keep telling them, don’t make them hunt through your web site to find it on a hidden contact us page. Customers will only spend a short amount of time looking before going somewhere else.

   Also it is required by law to have all your contact details on your UK website. A law was introduced in January 2007 requires that all business web site have the following details available to the customer; Directors, Company name, Registered address, VAT number(if you have one), Company registration number(if you have one). This enables customers and trading standards to validate your legitimacy, which is important to any customer before they do business with you, and it also enables them to have the necessary information with which to settle disputes.

4. Page Content
   

   Now you have a look for your web site what are you going to put on it? It is important that the homepage, the first page the customer arrives at clearly states what you do and who you are. This can be done with both images and text. At Specnet we don’t believe that images or text are more important than the other. They both have their place and role to play.

   Good Text will not only give search engines the information they need to log your web site, but it can also sell your product / services to your customer. Attention grabbing, interesting and informative text can make the difference to the customer choosing you over your competitor. By giving them the information they are after is crucial.

   Good images can back up good text and give and instant attractive visual to what you do. The best images are those that don’t need any explanation. Remember people use the internet for searching and comparing products quickly and will be looking through many other web sites as a comparison to yours. So don’t waste their time with abstract images that might be a lot of fun to you but are meaningless to your customer.

   All your web site content needs to informative and interesting and give your customer the information they need. By doing this you will keep their attention and encourage them to view other pages of your web site and eventually make contact with you. If this happens then your web site is doing its job.

Conclusion

Remember the golden rule of KISS and you can’t go far wrong with your website. Don’t confuse your customer, keep them focussed and interested in what you are doing and most importantly establish your brand and make your navigation idiot proof.

If you would like to discuss web design further I am always happy to help. At Specnet we have developed a very unique skill to ensure the web sites we design have the KISS approach. Please feel free to view our profiles page for the web sites we have designed at www.specnet.co.uk or give me a call on 01455 447928.