Commissioning a web site is probably one of the most important, and risky, projects a business owner can undertake.

As with any other decision, from finding a store to printing a brochure, you know that the wrong choice can seriously affect the flow, image and therefore future of your business.

What doesn't help this decision is the plethora of web designers around. It seems that everyone either is, or knows someone who is, a web designer. Unfortunately, with peers telling of how much money they make with their web sites, or simply because a competitor has a site, many business owners feel pressured to find someone to build them a site. Many times (mostly due to lack of contrary information or knowledge), they settle with the first person they come across who says they can do the job.

Something I myself have found interesting is the number of calls we get from people who hear of us, and want us to design a site. A great percentage have not even looked through our website to see the quality of our work before calling. I find this strange when you consider that their business image would be in our hands.

As the internet, and web development, can be a minefield for even experienced users, over the next few months I will be breaking down the stages of web design, from initial client-designer meetings to the day the site goes live. Along the way I will be covering what you need to know, and, even more important, what you need to ask your prospective designer to avoid potential problems down the line.

Web Basics

Web sites mostly fall into two categories; 'Brochure sites,' exactly as it sounds, an online brochure of your products and services, and 'E-Commerce,' where you wish to directly sell a product or service over the internet.

Despite a great deal of technical difference between the two, they both still rely on the same 3 basic internet 'rules.'

Design - an attractive design is essential, this cannot be stressed enough. On the internet there are thousands or even millions of other people offering the same as you, so your first impression is even more crucial than in a print brochure. This single element can decide whether a prospective client stays or clicks away. This is also where functionality issues play a critical role.

Functionality - a.k.a. 'user friendliness.' This goes hand in hand with the design, yet is it's own discipline. When a site is being designed, it has to be created with the majority of the viewing public in mind. If any elements on a site are confusing, take a long time to load, are missing, or do not function correctly, again the user will leave. There are literally dozens of things a professional developer has to take into consideration at this stage.

Search Accessibility - The ever-dreaded search engines. The most amazing site on the planet is worthless if nobody can find it. Searches are a rule unto themselves, and it can be a full time job learning this week's latest variations and submission rules.

However, it is something you need to keep up with.

For example:-

go to google.com, and enter "ice displays virginia beach". At #2 is 'The Hampton Roads Wedding Guide', one of our oldest clients.

Put in "plastic surgery suffolk" and at #2 is Chesapeake Plastic Surgery

Looking for "tummy tucks chesapeake" will give you Chesapeake Plastic Surgery at #2 & #3, with another of our sites, The Shopper at #4

Similarly, on google.com put in 'drycleaning pickup portsmouth VA', at position 1 is another of our clients, 'Wayside Cleaners'

The list goes on..

ALL the above have to work together if a
web site is to become successful.