As promised in the April edition of the TDD Times, here is a list of 10 website design tips…

1. Sometimes less is more. Do not "over do" the graphics, animation or sounds on a website. This can lead to sensory overload for your visitors. Keep the type of business you have in mind when working with your designer. For example, lots of fancy animation and sound effects would be out of place on an accountant's website but be perfectly appropriate for an animation studio.

2. KEEP YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IN MIND! The website may be for your business but the site needs to be designed for the people that you hope are viewing it. If the site is made to satisfy your needs rather the needs of your audience, your website will be useless. This is one area that a web designer can come in handy because they can keep an objective viewpoint.
3. Define the reason for the website. Is your website going to be the primary means of attracting customers to your business or will it be used as another tool in your marketing arsenal? Set expectations on the return you are looking to get from your website just as you would any other marketing project.
4. Content is king! Be sure to include as much useful information as possible in your website. There are some tactics a good web designer can use to improve your search engine ranking but content is the #1 reason for a good search engine listing. You will also have the important added benefit of a site that your visitors will want to return to
5. Make sure you or your designer follows established web standards. Having a site that renders good in one particular internet browser but looks terrible in others does not convey a good image of your company.
6. Make sure your site can be navigated easily. You do not want your visitors to get "lost" in your website. There should be obvious ways for your visitors to get to the main, if not all, pages from anywhere.
7. Try to get quality links to your website from other established websites. This will help increase your search engine position.
8. Make sure your website matches your other marketing materials. This will convey a professional image to the public about your business.
9. Keep your site updated. A stale, non-changing site shows a lack of activity and interest in your web presence. Search engines will come back more often to a site that is dynamic and changes often.
10. Keep your skill level in mind. You could possibly learn how to create your own website, but how much would that cost you in lost time? Evaluate if it would be more affordable to contract with a professional. Odds are the design will look better and be finished much faster. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your business and let your website start working for you rather than you working for (on) it.