subject: Do-it-yourself Site Design [print this page] Turn Your Vision In To Reality Turn Your Vision In To Reality
So you have finally decided to take your business online. You"ve found a great hosting package, set up your domain name, and have all your email accounts set up. Now what? Now you get to move on to the fabulous world of web site design. If you have never designed a web site before, don"t fret. Most hosting packages offer you a free site design software download, such as FrontPage, which make it easy to choose a look and plug in your business" information. With these template-driven web design software add-ons, you can create a professional looking site with very little effort. If you aren"t familiar with the web site design software or templates, most of these software packages offer a demo or a wizard that will walk you through designing your site. But, there are a few elements of a web page that you cannot overlook when you are creating your business" web site. Here is a short checklist of elements that need to be included in your web site:
Presentable Page
The page title "" each page needs to have a unique title, such as "About Us", "Contact Us", or "Services". If the page"s title is done correctly, the browser window will display the title of each page, as well as a description.
Concrete Logo
Your logo "" if you already have a logo for your business, make sure that it"s on your site. Try to incorporate your logo onto the banner or header for each page in the upper left corner.
Marketing Content
A tag line "" this is a one-sentence summary of what you do or offer to your customers and should be included either in the header or banner on your site. What unique value do you offer that your competitors don"t? This is a good start when developing your tagline or USP (unique selling proposition).
Importance Of A Toll Free Number
Your business" contact information "" make sure that you have a page or area of each page that is dedicated to the contact information for your business. A customer should never have to search to find your phone number or address. It"s a good idea to put your toll-free number on every page of your site.
Define Your Small Business
An "About Us" page "" this page should let your customers know all about your business. You can place information about your background, your business" background, or any other information that will help give your customers an insight into your business and let them know why they should trust you with their business.
Optimize
A search box "" this is an easy way to let customers find exactly what they are looking for immediately when they visit your site and will show your customers that you want to help them find what they need.
Policies
Your privacy policy "" if your site collects any information about users or customers, make sure that you have a privacy policy and that it is clearly stated somewhere on your site.
Affable Browsing
If you are designing a site that offers a shopping cart or online ordering, make sure that you have an easy to use shopping cart that can be viewed easily. Place a button on the top of each web page that will take your customers to their shopping cart so they can always see what they have ordered.
Payment Processing
Accepting payments on your site? You"ll need a payment gateway and merchant account that are compatible.
Simplicity And Stimulation The Key
Just remember that a simple site that is easy to understand and navigate is always better than a jumbled up flashy site. Your customers want to know what you do and how they can order from you, not see a bunch of banner ads and other items that don"t pertain to your business or why they came to your site. You don"t have to be a web design genius to design a great site, but you do have to be a savvy business owner!
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