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3_Questions_Everyone_Should_Ask_Themselves_Before_Designing_or_Redesigning_a_Webpage
| 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.
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