Small Business Web Design

When choosing a web designer, it's helpful to have an idea of what you want - even if it's just the addresses of a few websites that you like the look or features of.

There's no point in choosing the first designer you find if you are unsure they can deliver what you want, so ask for examples of previous client's work. Their own website should also help you make a decision.

Make sure they are not going to charge you for features you don't want - agreeing a full specification in advance will ensure smoother communication. Don't assume certain features are included in the price - the designer might not even know you want them and therefore won't have included them in the quote.

Can they deliver to your time scale? And what is the design process e.g. do you get to see the site in development so you can request changes?

Will they ensure that your page meets legal standards (DDA - Disability Discrimination Act - in the UK, Section 508 in the USA) and that the code is written to W3C standards? If not, you'll be in breach of the law, and your page will not necessarily display in the same way on different web browsers.

Hints and Tips for Your Web Presence

1. Why have a website: A website can fulfil many purposes e.g. brand development, sales and marketing material distribution, lead generation or direct sales. Focusing on your reasons will lead to a more coherent website. Do you want your website for new and/or existing customers, to provide product support or another reason? The most important thing to remember is that unless your website is current, it's useless.
2. Who is Your Website For?: When deciding to have a web presence, first work out who your audience will be. The layout and design of the site will naturally follow on from this e.g. an information resource might need a search function, an A to Z Index and a functional appearance. A tradesperson may want a portfolio of work, the ability for potential customers to easily contact them and an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Think carefully about what functions your website will fulfill, and what your site will need to meet these functions.
3. Flashy Sites and Jazzy Graphics: Whilst beautifully animated sites are very appealing, they are inaccessible to a large proportion of web users. Firstly, they take a long time to load on a dial-up connection, and these users will find a quicker alternative i.e. your competitor. Secondly, a lot of internet users are using WebTV, WAP, PDAs and screenreaders to access web content. Content locked in flash and animation is a black hole to these users, as well as the search engines.