DesignSmarts:
3 Questions Everyone Should Ask Themselves Before Designing or Redesigning a Webpage
With web design tools becoming easier and easier to use, almost anyone with an idea can create their own website. In many cases, individuals who design without professional guidance miss key elements, which compromise the effectiveness of their webpage. In order to help understand some of these mistakes being made by novice designers, we will dissect the current redesign of http://www.profitmaker.net and discuss some of the major questions that should be asked before creating or redesigning any webpage.
What is the focus?
This is the most important question to ask yourself before you begin any project. In the case of www.profitmaker.net, the main purpose of the site was to promote the client's downloadable book. The original design failed to accomplish this. Not only was the book difficult to find, it wasn't even mentioned on the main page! See for yourself:
http://www.profitmaker.net/old_site/index.htm
In order to ensure the downloadable book can be easily accessed by a visitor, two links were created on the main page to lead prospects directly to the download page. If the link in the header doesn't draw the attention of the prospect, the large graphic of the book in the center of the page definitely will. Also, eye-catching text, designed to promote the benefits of the product, accompanies each link leading to the book's download page. This gives the prospect yet another reason to download the book.
http://www.profitmaker.net
Does your design achieve continuity?
A simple way to diagnose this problem is to ask "Do all the elements in the webpage look like they belong together?" The original design of profitmaker.net had two major problems in this department. The choice of graphics for the navigation and the choice of fonts were throwing off the overall unity of the page design.
When it comes to establishing continuity within a webpage, there is no better guide than simplicity. For the navigation and overall graphics, a simple color pallet was chosen consisting mainly of green as the primary color and yellow as a secondary. Sticking to this color pallet ensures that we avoid the introduction of colors that may clash with the rest of the design. Also, font choices play a major role in achieving the overall flow within the main page of the site. Again, simple is the way to go. Only one major font was chosen for the redesign. This makes it easier to establish font hierarchy, allowing clear interpretation of the differences between headlines and body text.
Does your website capture leads?
Without capturing leads, any website that was created to generate business is doomed to fail. When looking at the original profitmaker.net design there are several things that could be improved upon in this area. In the original design, the newsletter sign up area was located nearly halfway down the page compromising the chances of it being viewed by potential customers. Also, the graphics and text accompanying the submission field were not at all eye-catching.
The Solution for this dilemma was simple. First, the newsletter's sign up area's location was moved to become one of the first items mentioned on the page. Secondly, it was given more prominence by enlarging its headline text making it more likely to be noticed by potential prospects.
Although asking these questions about your site during a redesign may help improve the odds of success, it's only the beginning. There are many other subtle elements that must be considered in order to make a website successful. At worlddesignservices we take them all into account when designing or redesigning your website. Let us have a look at it. Contact us at mailto:customerservice@worldprofit.com and we'll provide you with specific recommendations that will help improve your websites profitability today.
About the Author: Colin Eyo is a member of Worldprofit's Design Team at (http://www.worldprofit.com) Remember your site must be appealing in design AND make use of tested successful marketing techniques. We offer you both. Put our experts to work for you! Contact mailto:customerservice@worldprofit.com with details on your site, your business and plans.