Web design is an acquired skill, and one that not everyone possesses. Sure, nearly anyone can put up a website that looks “good enough,” but how effective will it be? When you want a dynamic, eye-catching design that impresses your visitor and ranks well for your chosen keywords with the search engines, hiring an experienced Austin web designer is a must.

In a competitive online world, “good enough” really isn’t good enough. In order to reach your goals and a high level of success, your website has to stand apart from the competition. You can have all of the bells and whistles (lots of Flash features, graphics, scripts) but this may be to your detriment, as your website will be slower to load. You then run the risk of your visitors leaving, which forever eliminates the possibility of a new customer.

Whether you are new to online business or it is old hat, there are some things you should keep in mind when it comes to superior Austin web design:

• The most valuable content should remain on the top half (above the fold) of your page for good SEO benefits.
• Text links are more effective than graphic links.
• Your color scheme, template and layout should appeal to the gender, age group and socio-economic background of your target audience.
• In those crucial first few seconds when a visitor lands on your website, it should be clear what your site is all about.
• Minimal clicks enhance the user experience and make it simple, so navigation should be user-friendly. An intuitive layout is essential, so that your visitor can easily determine how to get to where they want to go, and where that information is.
• Your content should be uniform throughout your pages. Using numerous font styles and sizes, too much large text or colored text can be distracting – not to mention it looks scattered and unorganized.
• Most importantly, your web design should portray trust. Your visitor should get the impression from first glance that you are a professional business with integrity, one that your target audience can trust with their business.

What goes on “behind the scenes” matters as much to the success of your website as what your visitor actually sees. Databases, code markup and other factors will impact how your website performs with the search engines, and the user experience. Contrary to popular belief, web design is not just what people see on the screen! Truth be told, designing a website is quite technical and encompasses much more than a color scheme, great content and your logo.

When it comes to your online presence, remember that your website is your biggest asset online, your “store” so to speak. If you want your website to demonstrate your professionalism, build your brand and hit your target audience in a way that lets them know that you are the ONLY one who can deliver what they need, depend on a skilled Austin web designer to deliver unparalleled results.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 at 7:26 pm and is filed under Marketing, Web Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.