Chrystal Clear Images [ Important Web Design Client Information Part 2 ]

Point #1 : Don't be convinved to pay for items that YOU know you won't use. The sole purpose of any small business having a web site is to help assist that business generate income, or some similar business purpose. One of the most important criteria in generating profit is to minimize overheads. Don't waste money feeding some crooked designer's creativity habit.

KEY NOTE 1: Always match your web site to your needs. A good web designer will make a point to discuss with you what your vision is for your company and be able to carry those desires out via your web presence.
Your web site should look professional but more importantly, it should match the purpose of your web site. You should take some time, before you meet with the web designer, and write down what your site's purpose is, what your target audience will be and what you hope the site to acomplish along with any other notes you wish to take and have this list ready when it's time for your consultation.

KEY NOTE 2: Flash, Pizzazz, and Glamor won't help your customers, if anything it will, after some time confuse them. Most times, simplicity and ease of access is key.
Simplicity works for customers, forget expensive extras in the very beginning. Unless they are functional, they do absolutely nothing for customers. Small businesses often times don't need, and can rarely afford all the expensive bells and whistles, unless they actively demonstrate some aspect of your product(s) and/or are cost effective (as are Chrystal Clear Images Flash items).

You need a good looking web site with well placed images to display your product and/or services advantageously. Functionality to promote yourself and your business is far more important than an overdone, or downright distracting special effects.

Point #2 : Always keep the control in your potential viewer's hands. It's nice to have a spectacular and really innovative web site BUT if your customers can't find what you sell they aren't going to buy it, plain and simple. Keep your web site user friendly. Web site visitors don't want to have to learn to use your web site just to buy something or find out product information; if they can't find what they want ... they'll leave, and go to someone else's site, and that's that.

Web usability is a sub-technology in itself. Your designer should be able to demonstrate knowledge of and proficiency in web usability techniques, including colour coordination and logical page layout.

KEY NOTE 3: If your customers can't find out about the product(s) or service (s) you sell ... they aren't going to buy it. Simplicity and Useability both save you time and money while also generating an income.

Point #3 : Make sure you are getting the latest technology.
Things change pretty fast in today's technological world. If you purchase yesterday's technology it means that the web site will only function as long as web browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox continue to support its technology. Make sure your designer is skilled in writing XHTML. HTML 4.0 or 4.1 is NOT the same as XHTML. Simply owning a copy of Dreamweaver does not give one web design skills.
Key Note 4: Remember, the older the technology, the shorter its useful life so ask your web designer what types of software they use and ask a few questions until you are confident in their competency to get the job done.

Point # 4 : You should ALWAYS get basic search engine optimisation included with the design of your project. A shop without customers is useless. You need to know ways of attracting customers to your business's web interface or you're not going to get good return on your investment. If you need some tips on how to market your website, please view the folowing:

How to make people aware of your website:

1.) Chrystal Clear Images includes a free search engine optomisation and keyword package on all of the websites that we build, which assists you to get good results in search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc.
See below for other things YOU may wish to do to make/keep people aware of your website.

2.) Personally tell your friends, family, associates, and customers about your website when you contact them and give them your web address.

3.) Include your web address on all business media such as letterheads, business cards, address stickers, brochures, advertising, invoices, receipts, yellow pages, etc.

4.) Include your web address after your "signature" on all emails, whether business or not.

5.) Reciprocal advertising banners on the website of a reputable, non-competitive business acquaintance or associate.

6.) Pay for a Google Adwords campaign.

7.) A good E-marketing campaign for general marketing advice.

8.) Essentially, keep your web address in people's minds any way you can

Point # 5 : Your web site should display appropriately across a wide range of web browsers and web technologies because not everybody uses Internet Explorer 6 or 7: There are many people who use old versions of Internet Explorer to browse the internet.

There are other browsers too: A growing number of people surfing the web nowadays use Firefox, the most popular web browser after Internet Explorer. A significant number of web surfers also use either Safari, Opera, Konqueror or Netscape.

Some people can't see images: Don't rely on images to convey important information as there are people who are either blind or sight impaired who are happy to listen to your web site via their screen reader. These people are willing to purchase your product if they can hear about it.

Some people can't use a mouse: The sight impaired and persons with nervous tremor diseases can't use a mouse. Your web designer should be able to demonstrate to you that he/she can build in facility to accommodate these people.

Point #6 : Your web site should not look like an advertisement. People are bombarded with advertisements thousands of times daily; when people are seeking information, the last thing they want when they go on the information superhighway is yet another advertisement.

KEY NOTE 5: Your web designer should be skilled in the art of Information Architecture.

Your web site needs to display contextual information that makes sense to your visitors. Information needs to be displayed intelligently according to modern IA techniques.

Point #7 : Be aware of all costs and potential changes in costs UPFRONT. You should be made aware of all costs and where extra costs may creep in. This scope creep can sometimes be a double edged sword. You may find that you, the client, are requesting unexpected revisions that inflate the original price agreement. Conversely, the web designer may may need to edit to the original task list due to unforseen technical difficulties that inflate development time.

KEY NOTE 6: Constantly changing your mind, requesting additions, ommitting information and wanting "do-overs" may be costing you and/or your web developer time, money and a good long-term Client/Designer relationship.

A few little extras may be acceptable for your designer to throw in for free but try to be just as aware of scope creep as you would be of cost creep. After all, your web designer will probably be working with you on occasion for years to come; try to keep the relationship balanced and remember that though your web designer may be your only designer, you are probably far from his/her only client. Try to keep changes gradual and spanned out over time and remember that written contracts stipulating each parties envolvement are always best and are often times probably enough to protect you both in the web business unless you're dealing with a large corporatate design firm.

Point #8 : You will ALWAYS need a domain name and a web address in order to broadcast a web site, ALWAYS. Web sites all have a domain name like www.whateveryoursiteis.com. This is your website's address so that people can go to your web site. You also need a server to host this address. A server is a big, commercial computer that stores web sites and serves up web pages to your computer for viewing online. Server costs can vary enormously, make sure you aren't paying very expensive rates unnecessarily.

KEY NOTE 7: Always make sure that domain and hosting costs are quoted upfront.

Domain names and host servers cost money and this cost should be included in your web site quote. A itemised cost breakdown is necessary to show you what you are paying for. It may be wise to secure (and deploy) both www.yoursite.com and www.yoursite.com.au to avoid confusion as well as to prevent competitors from hijacking your clients (perhaps even .net and .biz domains dependant upon your budget).

Chrystal Clear Images has extensive experience with domains and hosting and are happy to secure these at a realistic price. Some hosts prey upon the unsuspecting, charging outrageous fees for ordinary service. Feel free to contact us for advice on domains and hosting.

Point #9 : You should have a schedule of milestones. Some web designers give the rest of us a bad name by offering web sites to clients and then taking "forever" to deliver the goods. You should have a development schedule drawn up (and agreed upon) before actual site development begins after the original engagement. You should be kept informed of developments at each milestone.

KEY POINT 8:Regular communication is imperative to keep you informed of the various development stages of YOUR project.

Point #10 : You should be made aware of everything that is your responsibility. Unless you've hired your designer to write web copy or take photographs for you, YOU as the client ARE responsible for web content including page text and images, this is YOUR web project and as such it's content is YOUR responsibility. If you are not on time delivering these to the designer this can result in project delays that may end up costing you money.

KEY POINT 9: Your web designer should inform you, in writing, of what is required of you and when it will be required. To avoid any unnecessary complications, try to deliver whatever is required of you on time.

Proceed to Part 3