Launching a small business website can seem like an enormous task ,although it does require some research, if done right it might be just the marketing tool your business needs. The road to a website is filled with website designers, website developers and graphic designers. This in itself is very confusing. A website designer is someone who produces the design. A website developer is someone who creates more of the program side to your websites rather than the actual design. Nowadays most website designers are also developers. A graphic designer is the person who makes the images at the top of web pages, the buttons, and menus on a website. The whole process should not be so difficult and full of surprises. Therefore the 6 Do’s and Don’ts should be a great start to help you launch your small business website.

Don’t concentrate on images and how pretty your site will be. Remember that your sites’ purpose is to answer your customers questions and inform your customers of what you have to offer, such as services and products. Don’t use too many images because if your site is so “new age” a lot of people will not be able to navigate and find their way around it therefore they will get frustrated and not stay on your site and that would defeat the sites purpose.

Don’t compare web designers by their price. Not all web designers are created equal. You must not only compare the price but the type of service you will require such as internet marketing and updates, will they continue to create the site until you are satisfied, and can they write the content. Some designers will create you a site and mail you a CD with the files and you will then have to figure it out on your own how to get it on the web. Others will help you choose a domain and a hosting company, upload your files to your site, and will write your content. Writing on the web is different from writing in print. A good content writer will know what to say to keep your visitors on your site. Keep these things in mind when choosing a web designer.

Don’t hire a web designer until you are ready. Once you are finished shopping around for a web designer, do make sure you have purchased a domain name, hosting, have a general idea of what you would like your site to look like and written your content, if you will be doing this yourself. This is important! Web designers work virtually, that is directly on-line (through the Internet). You might not actually ever meet them. This style of work is very different from working face to face and have times set up as to when you will meet. It actually benefits you, the designer can get your website on-line faster. Therefore it is important for the web designer to have all your information. If they have to wait a week or so for you website content then you will be pushed to the back burner.

Do request a quote from a few web designers before you decide on one. Once you have looked at some websites find a few who you like and request a quote from them. Explain that you are interested in a website, explain a little bit about your business, how many pages would your site need and what are other services you would need from them. Ask them to send you a price detailing what would be included. Understand that this is a quote and if you are requesting any other additional services there will be an additional cost although designers will usually let you know beforehand.

Do plan on keeping your site up-to-date. Keeping your site updated keeps your customers coming back to either find out what’s going on with your company or about new promotions or sales. It also gives your customers the impression that you care about keeping them informed and that you value their business. The benefit of having a website is it’s easy to update and don’t cost much. Usually a web design firm will have special packages for updates. Find a designer who also can provide updates and when your site is finished discuss an update schedule and what they can suggest to keep your site looking fresh.

Do find a designer who specializes in small business. Small design firms understand the needs of another small business and are more likely to be more personal with your questions. A big design firm might have 5 people working on your website and they might not all have gotten the e-mail that stated what you want. Whereas a small design firm would have one person working on your site with whom you communicate directly.

This guide to launching a small business website is just the tip of the iceberg. The best thing is always know what you are going to receive in return for your hard earned cash. Make sure that your website is like an investment and that you are actually going to receive a return on your investment. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions! Most designers will answer most of your questions, no problem.

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Alicia Harper Alicia owns and operates a web design and developpment firm that specializes in small business an home based business. www.beseenwebdesign.com

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Website appearance is essential as an Internet Marketing Tool.

Introduction
In this article we will go over the most important aspects that when applied synergistically will take your web presence appearance and usability to the next level.

Building a Trustworthy Visual Presence

The importance of the visual presentation of the information on your site cannot be underestimated. The first impression to your audience is strong and memorable whether it is good or not. Unattractive websites can be a turn off. Many people think that if you didn’t place any effort in making your business look good, chances are you won’t care much about servicing your clients. Even more important, your website appearance can be utilized to evoke certain emotions in people; help building trust, emphasize on your marketing message, and as a result affect your sales.
Color Is a Powerful Weapon
Color is an important element of design that is used to create ideas, convey messages, invoke feelings. Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. Certain colors tend to invoke a similar reaction from most people – the overall difference being in the shades or tones that are used. Colors determine the psychological effect on viewers.

Color is one of the keys to good web design. Colors should be chosen wisely as they can affect the mood of the viewers. They should be chosen in such a way so as to suit the subject of the website. Choosing the right colors for a website involves more than deciding on which colors you like. Achieving color harmony is a science. Our statistics show that sometimes by changing the color scheme of your marketing materials the conversion rates can be affected by as much as 15%.

And remember that color should enhance your site’s experience, but because so many people perceive color in so many different ways, color cannot be used to define your site’s experience.

Usability and User Friendly Design

Have you ever gone to a website where the information seemed to relate to your needs, visually was very appealing, but it was impossible to figure out how to get what you went there for at the first place?

Front end usability plays an important role in the effectiveness of your site to generate leads. Consumed by today’s busy life most people simply do not have time to search for the information that they need. Information should be displayed in clear type, normal size letters and in contrast to the design. Most significantly important marketing messages must be prominent and clear.

Navigation must be easy to understand. The user should be able to get to any area of your site in no more then 2-3 mouse clicks. For complex and multi level navigation it is a good idea to use a “bread crumb” indicator displaying the current position on the website.

For example, when a website visitor is on your contact page, instead of displaying just a page titled “Contact Us” you may want to display:
Home > About the company > CONTACT US

This visually represents that visitor at the “Contact Us” page located in “About the company” section.

When a visitor is inclined to make a purchase you need to provide tools to fulfill users’ request. Whether it is a complex shopping cart solution or a simple contact form it is necessary to have fool proof systems in place.

Thank you for taking your time and reading Website appearance is essential as an Internet Marketing Tool. We encourage you to use this information to improve sales on your website today.
http://www.asfdesign.com

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Deam Rass | Toronto Internet Marketing Specialist
Over the last 7 years in the industry his Internet Marketing Company – ASF Design Inc helped and continues to help dozens of customers to generate millions of dollars in Internet Sales