 Websites
are being mass-produced by the thousands every day. Some
will be successful and some will not. The factors that
affect this outcome include the website's ease of use
and navigation, information architecture, accessibility,
and resolution. Quality web design will create a viable
presence on the Internet in the form of a digital interactive
product. To achieve this, the web designer will need
mastery of multiple professional disciplines and a unique
ability to conceptualize. Of course, the quality of your
website will vary greatly, depending on the experience
and skill sets of the web design company you hire. You
need to consider the vast range of entities that provide
web design services.
Web design entities can be companies, firms, studios,
and individuals. Many of them do not possess all of the
skill sets which are necessary to execute a successful
website. Often times, these groups have transitioned
into web design more out of necessity rather than desire.
There is a much lower demand for print and other forms
of traditional static media due to the Internet's ability
to quickly provide up-to-date information. For many of
these companies, web design is a newly-formed service
from which they converted their traditional billboard,
print or IT consultancies.
Because the market is so large, it's easy to find web
design companies that sell their websites at endlessly
cheaper rates. You are getting what you pay for; a process
full of shortcuts, a pre-made template, and an end-product
that will resemble thousands of other websites. It's
not uncommon to find web designers who create template-style
pages. However, the appearance will not be the only problem
with these cookie-cutter enterprises. Due to the technology
being employed by template-style web design, these websites
will have a very limited value on search engines. The
limited control over the design and incompatible technologies
will work against you in terms of having people find
your website.
It's important to hire a web design company that has
the ability to produce an appealing Internet presence.
Time and time again we field emails and phone calls from
businesses and organizations trying to get out of this
sinking ship that is the generic web design company.
The most frustrating part is when we must be the harbinger
of bad news and inform these people that they have wasted
thousands of dollars and months or sometimes years working
with web design companies that didn't produce a quality
product. We have heard complaints that these companies
were unreachable, unresponsive, or even abrasive.
Our years of research shows the simple fact that if
the end-user doesn't like something about your website,
they will leave immediately. They have already passed
judgment on your business or organization because the
quality of workmanship on your website is lacking.
A poor-quality website suggests that the company doesn't
care about their image. This makes a potential client
uneasy about doing business with them. Website users
might speculate that the same lack of attention found
in the website design will be carried over to the rest
of the business practices. These potential clients would
just as soon click the "back" button on their
web browser and navigate to a competitor's website that
helps them find what they are looking for easily and quickly.
Visual appeal is always a factor when marketing a business
or organization on the Internet, or anywhere else for
that matter. A quality website will have visual appeal
and so much more: ease of use, accurate and up-to-date
information, and accessibility. IntraMedia can provide
a custom-designed website for your business or organization.
A website that will truly live up to its potential to
attract visitors and entice them to return and do business
with you.
For more information about other web design topics or
website design services, please visit the web design
area or select from the list below. |
