Guest author: Benjamin J Davis
The Benefits of Custom Web Design Vs Using Common Templates
Introduction
Website design is in the same 'boat' as logo design; with both you have to ensure that the image you are portraying to your prospects and customers is one of professionalism and high quality.
Fact#1
Visitors to your website will make a decision within 8 seconds of landing on your site whether your company is:
- Reputable
- Trustworthy
- Professional
- Credible
- Legit
In today's modern business atmosphere where on-line advertising and marketing is the most cost effective medium with the biggest opportunity for quick growth, you need to ensure you are dealing with a professional company who can replicate your company: image, persona, values and business objectives online successfully.
So...what's the difference between custom web design and template designs?
A custom website design will do the following:
1. Accurately captures your business persona.
2. Includes website conversion pathways -- Calls to action to gain results!
3. Optimized for search engine optimization -- helps get you found on-line.
4. Geared to generate specific results: Newsletter sign ups, sales, leads.
5. Dynamic and can allow for new pages and content.
6. 1 in a million, not another like it.
A template website design will generally give you the following:
1. A cheap option.
2. Can be changed to suit your company colors, but not your business.
3. Typically not designed for search engine optimization.
4. Is not geared to achieve your on-line goals: Newsletter sign ups, sales etc.
5. High risk that there are 20 other low quality businesses out there with the same template.
Summary
When you are planning and formulating the brief for your next web project ensure you are dealing with a professional company that has qualifications and a successful track record.
Without a custom web design to back up your companies web project, I assure you that you are setting yourself up to potentially have serious online losses.
Time and time again I have met businesses that have had a web design produced by a free lancer or basement business, which after completing the job they disappear without sticking round to support the customer and project work.
Don't cut corners because of cost, shop around to find the best company or professional to deal with.
Easy Step by Step Process
Step 1
Identify a company/individual that is qualified, and has a successful track record of web design.
The easiest and safest way to do this is to deal with a well established business that has plenty of good reviews and testimonials from their customers.
Step 2
Provide an accurate design brief on how you want your business to portray itself on-line, including references to other websites that have been professional designed to a high standard.
This is very important, all designers need to know what you like in order to appeal to your needs and at the same time provide advice and guidance on the best web design practices, otherwise your designer will be just stabbing in the dark.
Step 3
The third step is to make sure your companies objectives and your on-line goals are successfully integrated in the design and that your credibility and legitimacy as a business is incorporated on almost every page.
Ensure that you have strong calls to action for your customers to successfully complete the objective of your website. Examples: Buy now, Shop on-line, Subscribe to our Newsletter and Request a Quote.
Step 4
Make sure your web company or individual knows to how to design a website to be search friendly and that the content will be easily readable. This is the most important and final step, lots of companies overlook content and structure as they try to only sell themselves on impact value.
Ensure your designer has experience structuring content successfully so that your visitors won't get frustrated finding their desired information or content. Fact: Website visitors will leave your site and go straight to a competitor if they can't find what they are looking for on your website within 30 seconds.
Close
I hope this information has helped you establish a clear thinking pattern for your next website project and that you are able to implement the above step by step process to better your on-line success.
This article is copyright 2010 - Benjamin Davis
Ben Davis
Business Development Manager
MediaCore Solutions Limited 2010
- Web Design
- Web Development
- Internet Marketing
- Magento eCommerce Specialists
- Joomla CMS Specialists
MediaCore is Auckland New Zealands Leading Specialists for web design and custom web development.
We provide professional and high quality web design and web development services that will meet all your online business needs.
We provide professional Magento eCommerce and Joomla CMS web design and development.
Contact us for a Free Consultation Today.
Contact
MediaCore: http://www.MediaCore.co.nz
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