The Internet, as we now know it, has recently transformed from a rapidly growing infant, into a young child that has further matured after receiving its share of bumps and bruises. It is now actively learning its place in life. There are many adventures ahead, and the only thing certain is that this Internet child is growing up fast, and has a long life ahead of it. Those who are young at heart, befriend this child, and learn to think in fresh new ways (or at least adapt), will discover the success awaiting them.
In the early days of television, TV shows were little more than talking heads and glorified radio programs. It took a while for the real potential of television to be realized. The same was true of the Internet when web sites were just electronic brochures. Some people still fear the Internet, while others just don't get it. The opportunities for Internet success are fantastic, now is the best time to take advantage of those opportunities, and the fact that most of your competition does not realize this is probably your greatest advantage.
The fact that the Internet is different from all other forms of media does not mean we have to redefine all the rules. There is a balance that must be found; a balance between getting stuck in the old ways, and throwing all established wisdom away. People do respond differently on the Internet than they do to other forms of media, but the fact still remains that we are reaching human beings.
The most important part of working on your web design project is that we get to know you, your business, or your organization. We will have a friendly conversation, either by phone or in person. Then a creative direction can be determined that accurately portrays you. The finished web design is about you. It is about transforming your web site visitors into buyers and supporters. We merely provide the creativity that translates your business personality into an interactive visual communication tool on the Internet.
Due to the misuse of special effects and the proliferation multimedia content used in web design, it is important to say a few things about that. First of all, it is very cool, it is dazzling, you will get ooohs and aaahs, and everyone will be impressed, but it rarely sells anything. There are exceptions, and if your objectives are among those exceptions, we would be happy to break loose and let pure creativity run wild for you.
If your web site design confuses or annoys your site visitors, you lose — permanently. Those visitors will leave and never come back. This point cannot be illustrated any more strongly than calling your attention to the most successful web sites. Think about Google, eBay, Amazon, and other big names. Do you see wild content and gizmos jumping all over the screen clamoring to distract your attention? You won't see anything that says, "Click here to enter" or "Skip Intro" either. These companies have spent millions and millions of dollars researching web design. They know something that we can now learn from.
It should also be noted that as user patterns have been studied, the results consistently show that well over 75% of web page users are drawn to the text before they even notice the graphics. People use web sites for information, yet all too often, graphics are emphasized more than they should be.
We are definitely not saying that multimedia content and special effects are bad, or that you should not use them. We strongly suggest caution though. Remember this important rule of web design, "Just because you can, does not mean you should."
Good web page design is interactive. The user, your web site visitor, can easily figure everything out; they are in control. Good web design is content driven and the visitor can easily find the content they are looking for. Good web design has sensible navigation. Good web design builds loyalty. And because the percentage of good web design is so low, good web design is actually exceptional. Exceptional web design sells.
If you are ready to capitalize on the power of the Internet, then contact us right away and you could soon be enjoying the benefits of a profitable web site. Feel free to keep reading as we outline a checklist of important considerations for your web success.
Next.. Principles of Success in Web Design
Creative Business Services is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
