Don't Kill Your Business: Part 1 of 1,452 part series

Can we be serious here for a minute?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you that design is more important than the code behind the design. I don't actually believe that, but I have to because I know that the average website visitor isn't visiting your site to see how it was made, but why it was made. Let's face it, your visitors are there because they want something from you.

The internet is an archive to a world of social satire. It's true, just like television and radio- a false perception of reality is key to engaging people to:

• Buy a product or service
• Buy into an idea
• Allow a product or service to give you ideas.

My semi-pessimistic analysis stops here, because although it sounds harsh, we're all capable of accepting or ignoring it.

Moving on, we now know the goal in developing and designing your site; to show people what you do and why you do it better than anyone else. Whether you are a shoe manufacturer looking to sell your soles or a Fish & Game shop looking to make an extra buck - you need to be able to sell your visitors on your service or product IMMEDIATELY or, I assure you, you've lost them. In fact, I'm suggesting that all of you consider your website a one page service center for your future. It's THAT important. If I'm coming to your site to get a phone number or to buy a product, I need to know how to do it immediately.

Now before you call up your design firm and ask them to move all your interior pages to the homepage, let me clarify: Your visitors dont need to be able to access all of your information from the homepage, they just need to know HOW to access all of your information from the homepage. Thus a clear, concise and functional navigation system that leaves no stones unturned.

Now let's talk about your image. There are about 253 good marketing and design firms in the United States today. At the same time, there are about 442 million beer-bellies that will do your site for you in their basement at a fraction of the cost any actual company would quote you. When it comes to your website, you absolutely pay for what you get. Shopping around is the number one piece of advice I can give you (why not start here?).

Here, let me make this easy for you. When you go for your first meeting with a design firm, bring along this handy checklist:

[_] - Does this company have a solid background and track record?

[_] - Will this company use my existing branding/collateral and implement it onto my new site?

[_] - Can this company provide me with ideas that will better my online presence?

[_] - Will I be kept informed throughout my site's development? What role will I play in managing the site?

[_] - Where will my site be hosted? Who do I call if my site ever goes down?

[_] - Where's the coffee?

The list could go on for about 5 pages, but I strongly suggest you start there.

Getting back to your image. Your company's image is very important. If I need to find a good lawyer online chances are I'll Google a lawyer in my area. If the first few sites come up looking like the classic "Dewey, Cheatum, & Howe" I might give up really fast. Let's say, though, that the next one comes up as a professional, clean, informational megaplex of lawyer goodness. I'm so in. I pick up the phone and make the call.

So how can a bad website affect my company? Easy! Listen, there are probably thousands of other companies that do what you do. I dont need to go into a lengthy paragraph about how clean beats sloppy, or how clear and consistent navigation beats navigation that moves around depending on what page you're on. I also don't need to tell you that any company that's at the top of their industry's game didnt get there through poor marketing and branding. The importance of your image is non-negotiable when it comes to appealing to an audience. If you know your audience and know your brand, (and you hire a quality design firm that understands them too), then you'll stay out of that hole that has brought more company's to their knees than bad management and financial instability combined. It's called bad image.

Don't kill your business.


[/end part 1]