New to Web Design, or wondering why your site is not generating more interest? Here are 10 misconceptions to avoid.

1. I need to put everything I can think of on my homepage because I’m so excited to share all my information and knowledge and I’m afraid you won’t click on any other pages!
Too much content leaves the homepage cluttered, unfocused and can cause frustration. Readers want quick, concise information so use the homepage as an introduction to your product or services Summarize what can be found on the rest of the site and use it to “tease” the reader about “new” products/services or special offers. Your homepage should never look like a bulging, over-stuffed closet!

2. I’m sure I spelled it rite the first thyme
Typos leave a really bad first impression. Proofread your text carefully. Even our friend, Spell Check, can let us down by not seeing typos such as “there” for “their”, “here” for “hear”, etc.

3. People will understand that I’m an amateur photographer
Bad photos placed on a website will kill first impressions and sales. Do you have an extraordinary product, amazing vacation destination or cute, cuddly puppies? Blurry, dark, poorly staged photos will hurt sales and your business image. A bad photo is worse than no photo. Technology has enabled the average consumer to purchase reasonably priced digital cameras that produce beautiful photos. Take your time, stage it properly and your efforts will pay off. If a professional photographer is needed, rest assured the cost will often be easily recouped through a professional business image and improved sales.

4. I need a really complex, cool navigation bar to make my site stand out
Having to “figure out” or learn how to move around your site is cause for quick exits. Titles on the primary navigation bar should be short and descriptive. Highlight with color or graphics for interest. Keep in mind that visitors like familiarity and navigation should be instinctual. Allow visitors to know what page they are on at all times. Make the trip around your site enjoyable through sensible navigation.

5. Once a link, always a link.
Links to quality outside sites are a great way to offer more relevant information. However, links on the internet come and go and should be checked on a regular basis. Broken links lead visitors to believe your site is not current.

6. Since I took the time to put up a website, you trust me right?
Well not exactly. Take the time to explain who you are, list your credentials and why you are an authority in your area. List your contact information in an area that is easy to find. Add testimonials from satisfied clients. Stand by your product or service with guarantees.

7. What’s the hurry?
Unless you’re a teenager, people have limited time and want information quickly. Organize your website so that information is easy to locate. Use bold text, underlines and different colors to help direct visitors to key locations. Make sure your site loads quickly. Slow sites are painful and a recipe for failure! You have between 4 and 9 seconds to make a positive first impression. Use your time wisely.

8. I feel the need to impress you with all my industry specific terminology
That might make you feel smart and sound educated, but can anyone really understand you? Speak in terms that the average consumer can understand. Remember, the website was built to educate and please others, not yourself.

9. I didn’t want to spend the time or the money so I found “stuff” on the net to use
Internet users and consumers are savvy, so that brings us right back to first impressions.
If you and many related websites are using the same graphics, what makes you stand out from the rest? Custom logos and graphics can be made using a simple graphics program or by a professional.

10. My website is finished, it feels so good to be done!
Um.. Hardly! You’ve had your site built, you’ve had it submitted to the search engines but there is still much work to be done. With millions of sites on the internet, just being listed in the search engines is not enough to bring your site satisfactory traffic. Help people find your website by using traditional methods of advertising such as handing out business cards, newspaper ads, TV ads, donations of product or services to local non-profit organizations, business/holiday fairs, etc. Spend time placing your website in online directories suited to your products or services. Advertise on websites that have like content and high traffic. Having a website is only one part of a “marketing plan”.

Websites should be constantly evolving. Fresh content is the only way to keep visitors coming back on a regular basis. Frequent visits build consumer confidence and trust which in turn will benefit your bottom line!

About the Author

Linda Chadbourne, an experienced web designer since 1998 with a specialty creating websites that are functional works of art and working with novice web design clientele. http://www.maine-lyweb.com
copyright 2006. This article may be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active.

The Picture

Imagine if you will, trying to buy a car, it looks slick, shiny, fast, the salesman wants you to have it as bad as you do. But you’re a smart buyer you want to check things out before you lay the money down. But the salesman won’t let you see inside! Won’t let you look under the hood. You have no idea what the vehicle can actual do or if it can do anything. I feel the very same way with commercial software. It cost half a grand for the Operating System to run a computer, another half grand for some decent graphic design software, and however much for a legitimate HTML editor. From this and, of course from the title, you can tell that I am focusing on software for web development, but many principles discussed here can be applied to all software. So many stores sell on the web, it’s a hassle free environment, and so many people buy from the web because they know they can buy anything. So a web page may be something you really want, but you’re going to want to get what you paid for, or heaven forbid it being an investment….more out of it than you put into it. Read on!

Why Open Source

The reason Web Development is a such a huge industry is because it is a business that has everything all other businesses don’t have. Accessible from millions of locations, in every country that has plumbing, AND….theoretically it can be manufactured, maintained, changed, or destroyed from any internet capable computer (included phones, and hand helds). The biggest upside to anything Open Source is the cost of the software, you cannot compete with free. The cost of a website is pretty high when you go through a company, which takes their cut and then assigns it out to one or two employees that do all the work. But that company has to buy software to run right? Of Course! But what does a company do when an Open Source product is better then the ones it is currently using? Do the people on the inside of the company prefer to use the same software, usually not until they have had that software pounded into their head, and even not then if it costs a lot. So why Open Source, is it the cure all? You still have to work, have hardware to run it on and so on and so forth. But then you can pay just for the time of an employee, you can try different solutions. And since we are speaking about web development, we can look at the amazing content managers that are Open Source such as Joomla, or PHPNuke where anybody can put the content in.

Big Companies and Open Source

So knowing that Open Source is free and it’s freelancers and underpaid programmers that work on this with the occasional paid employees and projects that have sponsors, who benefits and who does not from the Open Source movement? I will readily let you know that I benefit extremely from all the free software that is out there in my own freelance web design, like I explained above, the software to edit graphics and HTML code is expensive, I could not imagine also paying for the FTP (File Transfer Protocol, use to upload files to a server) client. Now it is a given that all us little people save tons of money, but now who does it hurt? I was doing a little research and found that a lot of companies that were beginning to embrace Open Source solutions such as IBM and Novell, also any smaller company providing a service and struggling to become larger. The larger companies like IBM don’t mind that the programs are free because they are making hardware and if people don’t have to spend as much on software they would spend a little more on the hardware. Novell wouldn’t mind because they can make the code flawlessly integrate with the Operating Systems that they can see all the code for. The only software company that is hurting (I’m sure I could find more if I looked) is Microsoft, funny to me it seems that Microsoft would put so much money and time into their gaming console when it specializes in its operating system. At first I though it was another piece of the market that Microsoft wanted to dominate, but now knowing how prevalent Open Source is becoming, it was actually a brilliant idea that will give them something to live off of when people eventually switch over to Linux or any other free OS.

The Internet in All We Do

The reason this article focuses on Web Development along with Open Source is that we spend so much of our computer time on the internet, if it were not for music I think I wouldn’t need a large hard drive at all, I only have a few gigs of applications at any given time. But if my computer cannot connect to the internet I feel stranded! I mean, I got to check my e-mail (the two different online accounts that I have), edit or just view my website, chat with my family in Canada and friends that still live an hour or so south of Salt Lake City, and make web pages for other people. So the internet is critical for myself, and that is why I need Open Source products, I could never afford to buy high end software and then make a web page for as little as I do.

This Concludes this Broadcast Article

Thanks for reading and please give Open Source a chance, if you are using Google you can type in Linux, Joomla, SourceForge, or Open Source and you can find all that free software for Linux and Windows. Enjoy!

Michael Hart
www.hartdevelopments.com/joomla

Choosing a web designer can seem like a daunting task. They come in all shapes and sizes – from freelancers working at home to glossy new media agencies, and there is as much variation in prices and service as there is in size.

So how do you choose the right one for your business?

Select Your Marketplace

Firstly, decide what market your would like to select from: local , national or overseas.

If you would feel more comfortable meeting your designer, and running through your project face to face (maybe it’s the kind of project that needs to “evolve”) ,and your ethos is “quality of service” rather than “Pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap” then a local web designer is for you. They can usually provide better back up, and be able to meet face to face to discuss your project and iron out any problems should they occur.

If you are a bit more budget conscious, then it makes sense to select from a “wider pool”. Getting quotes from designers across your country will usually obtain a more competitive quote. What you lose in face-to-face service is made up for in cost savings, and all but the largest web projects can usually be sorted out via telephone and email these days.

For the extremely cost conscious and value for money orientated (some would even say “brave”!) there is the overseas market. If you know exactly what you are looking for and can explain your project thoroughly and clearly in writing, then there are huge savings to be made. But what you save in price is invariably countered by having to do a little more work on your side – particularly when it comes to communication!

Finding Web Designers

To find a list of local web designers consult your Yellow Pages (or equivalent) or do a web search for “web designer ” + “your area”. Looking further a field, you can do a web search or check out directories such as www.recommended-web-designers.co.uk . For overseas designers, go to web sites such as www.elance.com or www.rentacoder.com, the latter offering the benefit of escrow and arbitration services.

Draw up a shortlist

Draw up a shortlist of 3 or 4 designers to speak to. You can do this by visiting their websites, getting a feel for the type and size of business they are and looking at their online portfolio. Then call them – ask them questions about the type of clients they work for, timeframes and any other technical questions you have. Get a feel for how they communicate – whether they are on the same wavelength as you.

If you opted to go overseas, the websites already mentioned have ratings systems which can help you decide, and you can also send and receive private messages to ask questions.

Get Quotes

Once you have your shortlist, you can get quotes. For a straightforward website this can be a simple fixed price – for a more complicated project that is likely to evolve, you may just want to get a budget price at this stage, and then pin down details and a fixed price with your preferred bidder later. Always specify your expected timeframe for completion when obtaining quotes as this can affect prices.

Get References

Once you have your preferred bidder, get references. Any established web designer will be able to provide details of satisfied clients. Email them and ask if they were happy with the service received, if the job was completed on time, how unforeseen problems were dealt with etc.

Remember to trust your instincts: If you are not entirely happy with the references you obtain, walk away and select another designer.

Appoint your web designer

You now have a fixed price, references, and confirmed timescale for your project. Now appoint your designer!

Most have standard agreements -read them carefully, and if in doubt get your legal adviser to look them over. Make sure timescales and project milestones are specified, as well as payment terms. Find out how alterations to your project are dealt with – in terms of cost and delays – and how disputes if they arise would be settled.

Finally, when you are completely happy, sign on the dotted line and look forward to a productive working relationship with your web designer!

© 2005 Robin Porter.

Robin Porter has been CEO of of London based web designer Arpey Internet for over six years.