How can i know I’m getting a good website when i pay someone for it?

Don’t worry. There are a few constants in the vast expanse of variables that produce a good site time after time. If you, your company or organization needs a website and want to get an idea of what you’re getting into, or if you are among the millions who just want to know, here are a few essentials to getting a good solid website:

1. Purpose.

This could be the single most important factor that will help a website succeed or fail. A clear and defined purpose will help the other pieces fall into place. Why do you have a website? Who are you trying to reach? What are your objectives and how do you measure success? Purpose will allow you to make clear and concise decisions about everything from your color palette to technology and even features. Define clear objectives, plot your course, and move on to number two.

2. Clean Purposeful Design

I could have just said design here, but that doesn’t cover it. Ask any designer worth their salt and they will tell you that there is “design” and then there is “good design”; and the difference between the two is like east from west. Websites can be, and often are “over-designed” by amateurs who ignore design principles, throw every Photoshop trick in the book at a design and call it a website. Professional designers know what effective design is; and are experienced and disciplined enough to know when to stop designing. When talking about things like color choice, layout, imagery, and relevant metaphors, you really have to make a conscious effort to design with a specific idea in mind. In short, know your target (objective) and purposefully design towards it. And for Pete’s sake use white space! Moving on!

3. Clear Message

Every pixel of your website should have a purpose and a certain efficiency. Each one complimenting the others, together making up the content and imagery that shape your message and create a consistent brand image. Don’t try to fill up every last bit of space just because it looks “empty” (again – white space is important). Identify your target audience and what it is you want them to do. Make it easy on your users. Guide them where you want them to go, and help them find what they want to find with very little effort. Once you get them there, you have to provide them with the right information and a meaningful, compelling call to action.

4. Simple, Usable Architecture

How well are your pages and content organized? Is it intuitive? Will your target audience find what they are looking for? Can they use the navigation and is it understandable? If not, you’ll frustrate your users and they will bounce.

5. Reliable, Standards Compliant Framework

A good website must start with a good foundation. Starting from the ground up, quality, reliability and compliance with web standards means that your website will look the same and work the same in more browsers across platforms. What that means for you is a more consistent and powerful brand image to all of your website users.

6. Search Engine Marketing/ Search Engine Optimization

Hook Search Engines up with your website. Look at it this way: Search Engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN are your best friend, and you know this smokin’ hot website (yours) that would be perfect for them. A match made in Heaven (well, maybe utah). Making search engines like you is just a game – kinda like the game of love. Get it wrong and you’ll find yourself dumped. Do it right and you’ll be rewarded with lots of attention and free, targeted traffic . It’s not difficult, but like anything else it just takes experience, know how and planning.

7. Technical Excellence

Getting a clever, relevant and memorable domain name is huge. Having fast, efficient, managed hosting with enough bandwidth and reliability to handle all the traffic you’ll get from your great new website’s marketing, and knowing which technologies fit within your website’s objectives and goals are all marks of a good website. After you have all that, find a professional webslinger who knows how to spin a site like no ones business and you’ll have a GREAT website.

Check out our design showcase to see some of the good websites we’ve done for our clients. And if you need a good website, drop us a line and we’ll do the same for you.

The same principles from fifteen years ago (and much longer before that) apply to your website. Back in the day it was the suit and tie. Today, it’s your website. How’s your website dressed right now? What do people say about your website when they see it for the first time? How do your employees feel about the website that represents them? If your website isn’t making a great first impression, your competition’s website is only a few clicks away. So, here’s a few ways to find out if your website is making a good impression and some ideas on how to fix it should it be less than ravishing.

1. Find out from prospects where they heard about you

This can be valuable information, regardless of your online efforts. Knowing how prospects are finding you can help you better spend your marketing dollars. Before your sales team ends a conversation, ask the prospect how they found you. And don’t miss this chance to get direct feedback about your website. Listen and write if a prospect makes suggestions! If you start to hear more negative comments than positive ones, your website probably isn’t cutting the muster. Take the feedback and act!

2. Ask your trusted customers and business partners for ideas

No one has better information about why they work with you than your current clients and business partners. Sure everyone’s a critic, but if they have something to say, listen! Send them a survey about your website and a Starbucks gift card if they complete the survey. People love to give their opinion and they love it more when their opinion causes action. It will make them feel special and useful and it will help you improve your business.

3. Ask your employees how they feel about the web site that represents them

After all, they surf the web more than they work anyway. Ask them how your website matches up to those they use all the time (doing their best to keep apples with apples). Ask them if they’re embarrassed to tell folks about your site and how they feel about how it represents them. Make sure they don’t feel threatened if they’re honest, too. You’re employees are a great resource for information about how prospects and clients react to your website.

4. Get in touch with a web design and SEO consultant for help

I can think of a good one right now… but really, call a pro. Professional web designers use the latest design techniques and tools to forge your image on the web. A great designer will be up on the latest trends in web design and visual communication, thus creating a site that will draw prospects in (once they find you), giving you the chance you need and deserve to close the sale. That raises the question: how will they find you? There’s a myriad of sources on the web, including your competition seeking the same clients. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is key to getting found on the web. A professional SEO has the technical knowledge and experience with the ever changing methods required to get your site found and can create a plan to keep you in the limelight. All of this may mean some investment, but that opportunity for a first impression is well more than worth it in the long run.

5. If You’re Going to Throw Money

I want to make this clear: perform due diligence before doing anything that requires any kind of investment. Don’t throw money… make sure that the dollars you spend are going to return to you in solid first impressions and converted sales. If you’re thinking about calling website design professionals, call their clients and ask them if they’ve been happy with the service and quality. The internet is an amazing tool… use it to look at their site and their work and see if it impresses you! Call a colleague or friend who has a nice website and ask them who they use and why.

We’re not suggesting you go buy a Prada suit for your next meeting. We’re saying don’t wear the suit from the 90′s that’s been worn a few times just to save a buck! You’ll regret it. People are searching for other people to do business with and they are using the web to find them. So, ask yourself: can they find you? Once they found you, can they find the information they need on your website? What lasting first impression are they leaving with?

Not so sure about the first impression you’re making? We can help you. We’re sure we can make tailor a site for you that will turn heads. If you want to see some of work, take a look at our design, production and marketing showcase.

Quick Statistics for Local Business Search

Search engines were rated the number one resource for finding local business information. Here’s how a survey’s responses broke down in terms of professed usage:

• Search engines: 74%
• Print yellow pages: 65%
• Internet yellow pages: 50%
• Traditional newspapers: 44%
• Print white pages: 33%
• Television: 29%
• Consumer review websites: 18%

Source: Search Engine Land

(Percentages are greater than 100 because respondents were permitted to select more than one answer.)