|
|
|
Five Core Elements to a Successful Website
It seems to me that many of you who are new to building websites are having trouble figuring out exactly what makes the difference between a website that's effective and one that doesn't produce results. For example, I recently received this from a...
Good Web Design – What is it?
There is unlimited possibilities when it comes to designing a website. Flash, Database, content management, Client Login, etc,etc. A question to ask yourself when deciding how to do your website is: How can I most effectively present my...
Sell Your Freelance Web Services to Businesses That Don't Have a Web Site
As you are probably already aware - there are many more freelancers out on the net than there are employers. Consequently, freelancers often find that they are bidding for a job along with hundreds of other web professionals. For this reason alone,...
Website Design Info - Part 1
What Will My Site Do?
by Richard F. Hill
© 2005 Richard F. Hill - All Rights reserved
This is the first of eight articles about website design. Our discussion will deal with some of the issues which need to be considered when developing a new online...
Why Not To Use Web Design Templates
In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a business may be tempted to take the "more convenient" route in launching a website - buying a template and customising it. Website design templates are like off-the-shelf websites and are...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aesthetics and Web Marketing
For four years I worked in the editorial department of a major Internet directory. My job required me to search for and review thousands upon thousands of Web sites. Oh, the horror!
I could tell you about the company that misspelled its own name. I could rhyme off a list of sites that had no contact information. I could even show you the university site that had a navigation button reading “Course Summery.” But I won’t. Instead, I want to address the less obvious and the overlooked: Web site aesthetics.
With more and more people searching and using the Internet to find products and services, a strong visual literacy has developed. Little animated GIFs that depict a construction worker with the words “Under Construction” blinking underneath have gone by the wayside. Well, in most cases. These are signifiers of “old school” design, when the Web was young. Today, a certain design standard is expected.
What many companies fail to understand is this: the site visitor is not a passive viewer, but an active user of the site, forming opinions about the site and the company it represents. The company image is not what the company thinks it is, but rather what the public perceives it to be. This encompasses the textual and visual cues the company provides the prospective client. Surveys have shown that Internet users base Web site credibility on two primary factors – design look and information/design structure. If companies really understood this, one would hope that there would be less horrific design on the Web.
Web site aesthetics support the company’s marketing strategy. Proper aesthetic design can add value to a page by reinforcing a company’s image, strengthening brand identification and creating a positive image in the public eye.
It is impossible to appeal to every
visitor’s individual taste, but it is possible to create a site that reflects the company’s image and elicits a positive response from viewers. Good layout, colour, style and font type can influence the site user’s assumptions about the company, or its products and services.
Businesses must understand their demographic and appeal to that visual sensibility. Too often companies are convinced by design firms try to be something they aren’t. Why an accounting firm would need a Flash intro is beyond me. Invest in simple, clean design that reflects the spirit and guiding principles of the company.
Site attractiveness also aids navigation and usability as well as adding to the enjoyment and overall site experience for the user. One of the main reasons that a user will leave a site quickly is not being able to find relevant content. When the aesthetics are good, the navigation buttons are easy to read, clearly labeled and, lastly, quickly found and identified.
Aesthetics are not frivolous or wasteful. To ensure a successful site, companies must not only consider the nuts and bolts of the technical side of the site, but the visual appeal that the site holds for the user. A well-designed site will be cost-effective as it will last longer, create value for the client and help market the company in the most professional way. Good design aesthetics add tangible benefits such as improved client response to the Web site and a memorable and solid company image.
About the Author
A. Charlotte Riley has worked as an Internet editor, content producer, marketing writer and researcher. She has a BFA from Concordia University, majoring in Photography. In her spare time she can be found cooking, working on crossword puzzles or hanging out with her daughter, Kate. Visit: http://www.acriley.com
|
|
|
|
|
| Web Development |
| This web summarizes the complete life cycle methodology for web development: planning, analysis, design, implementation, promotion, and innovation. |
| www.december.com |
|
| Web Development |
| Professional Web site design, graphic design, and Internet development services. |
| webdevelopment.com |
|
| Web Developer's Virtual Library: Web Development Tutorials and ... |
| News, tutorials, and reference material focusing on technical web development topics. |
| www.wdvl.com |
|
| Open Source Web Development Tutorials - Dev Shed |
| Open Source web development tutorials, forums, and tools. Topics covered include PHP, Apache, mySQL, Zope, Roxen, Jserv, Zend, XML, DHTML, and Javascript. |
| www.devshed.com |
|
| WebDeveloper.com |
| Hello all, I am new to web development. I have an understanding of website development, but no scripting experience. I have heard of JavaScript, PHP, ... |
| www.webdeveloper.com |
|
| LevelTen Web Design | Professional Website, Flash & Graphic ... |
| Offers logos, web sites, multimedia presentations, and custom media. Quote form. Based in Dallas, Texas. [Requires Flash] |
| www.leveltendesign.com |
|
| Web development - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| For larger businesses and organizations, Web development teams can consist of ... Since the mid-1990's, Web development has been one of the fastest growing ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Web Design - HTML XML - Web Development - Web Site Design |
| Web Design and HTML are all about creating a great Web site. Use Web development and Web site design to build Web sites that customers return to over and ... |
| webdesign.about.com |
|
| Agile Web Development with Rails—Second Edition |
| Dave Thomas, Mike Clark, David Heinemeier Hansson, Leon Breedt, Thomas Fuchs, Andrea Schwarz; Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2006, ISBN 0977616630. |
| www.pragmaticprogrammer.com |
|
| CYGAD's WebDevelopment - Welcome to CYGAD’s WebDevelopment! - The ... |
| CYGAD's WebDevelopment - The finest Resources for WEB-Design, WEB-Master and WEB-Developer! |
| www.webdev.cygad.net |
|
| Web Development Bookmarklets |
| Includes tools for viewing and testing CSS styles, viewing scripts and variables, and showing the structure of a document. |
| www.squarefree.com |
|
| SGI - Freeware - Web Development |
| Links to freeware web development tools, browsers, software, etc. |
| www.sgi.com |
|
| Webmonkey: The Web Developer's Resource |
| Resources for web site developers including how-to guides, code libararies, server technologies and authoring resources. |
| www.webmonkey.com |
|
| Web Development Tools - Web Developer's Journal |
| Tips on Web page design and development, HTML, graphics, scripting, favicon, development tools, Java, sql basics, building web sites, and much more for ... |
| www.webdevelopersjournal.com |
|
| Web Developer's Handbook | CSS, Web Development, Color Tools, SEO ... |
| Web Developer's Handbook is a list of essential web-sites, which make the life of web developers easier. Compiled and updated by Vitaly Friedman. |
| www.alvit.de |
|
| Ceonex Web Development & Web Design - Full Service Digital ... |
| Web design, web development, online branding, application development and other full service business solutions focused on prospect conversion and customer ... |
| www.ceonex.com |
|
| Cayenne Web Development - web design agency, Oxfordshire, UK |
| Specialist web design agency based nr Banbury, Oxfordshire, offering a complete website design and development service. |
| www.cayenne.co.uk |
|
| Web development mistakes | 456 Berea Street |
| When I visit a website, especially if it’s the site of a competitor or a prospective client, I like viewing… |
| www.456bereastreet.com |
|
| Web development mistakes | 456 Berea Street |
| Articles and news on web standards, accessibility, usability, and other things related to web development and web design. |
| www.456bereastreet.com |
|
| Anil Dash: Web Development Trends for 2006 |
| Here, then, is a random assortment of new web development trends to be ready ... Web Development trends 2006: Überblogger Anil Dash maakte (een paar weken ... |
| www.dashes.com |
|
|