1. Before you even start to work with a web design company have a list of the types of websites you like.  This will be important information for the web designers and the project managers working on your project.
2. Think about what function your website will serve for your business.  For example will your website be a place for your visitors to come and view your catalog? Or will your website be a source of information about your services and products? Or will your website be an online store?
3. If you don’t already have a logo start to think about colors for your logo.  It always helps if you have a hand drawing of an idea for a logo.  We can turn hand drawings into beautiful logos.
4. Make a list of how many pages you will need for your website.  For example the common pages on a website are the Home page, About Us page, Services Page, Blog page, and Contact Us page.  Having an idea of how many pages you will need for your website will also give your Website design company an idea of what your project will cost.
5. Think about a budget, how much you are willing to invest in your website.  Remember that this is a marketing investment in your company and your website is your presence on the web.  Work with your Web design company if you have a low budget so that they can give you an idea of your options. 
6. Start thinking and start writing the content you want for your website pages.  If you need help with your content talk to your web design company.  They can refer you to a content writer.
7. Make a list of keywords and key phrases that you know people will use when searching for your services online.  Also, be sure to ask about Search Engine Optimization for your website.  Some web design companies also offer this service but if not they can refer you to an SEO company.  Keep in mind that this service requires a good budget and a commitment of at least 4 to 6 months.
8. Think about a Domain Name you want for your website.  Try to keep the name short and simple, but also make sure it relates to your business.  Keeping it simple will help people remember your website.  Good examples of short and simple domain names are names like google.com, yahoo.com , msn.com, facebook.com, etc.
9.  Be sure to ask your web design company how long your project will take. This will give you an idea of when it will be completed so you can plan accordingly.
10.  Last but not least, if a relative tells you they can do your website, unless that relative is me, I would suggest you contact a professional web design company. My point is that if you want your website completed in a few weeks you really want to work with professionals that create websites for small businesses!

Hector Moran

Oversized Headers And Logos:

 In this year, things are big and so are the headers and logos. These oversized logos and headers is that they help create a better impression on visitors and work extremely well for brand recognition.

 Hand-Drawn Designs And Sketches:

 Another latest trend is to have hand-drawn design. The big reason behind the growing popularity of these designs is that they look personalized and allow a personal interaction between the site and its visitors.

Interactive Designs:

 In 2010, you will find many sites with interactive designs based on Flash. The advent of sIFR, swfobject2.2, and other specific Flash technologies has made Flash-based sites accessible for search engines. So, be ready to see designers making use of more redeeming Flash elements now.

 Typography:

 Although many trends have just started capturing a large market, few trends from 2009 are still going strong. Typography, for instance, is one such trend that was extremely popular in 2009. You will again find new websites with typography as their basic design element in the year 2010.

 In addition, you will see more and more websites with Modal Boxes, Minimalism, Hub Images, Intro Boxes, and Oversized Footers. However, these are only few of the very best and latest website design trends. All of them are growing in popularity and that’s the reason why you should keep them in mind when designing a new website. In fact, it is a better idea to hire an experienced website designer, as he is updated with all these trends for designing a new site or redesigning an old one with the latest website design.

Let’s take a look at the Pro’s and Con’s of using a website builder service.

The Pro’s of using a website builder service:

1. Low cost to build the website
2. You get to choose from hundreds of pre-designed templates for your website look and feel
3. You get a simple website ready to go in a short period of time
4. Great for companies that just want a website on the internet and are not concerned about search engine optimization (SEO) of their website.

The Con’s of using a site builder service:

1. With low cost template site builders you usually have to put up with banner ads. These companies know they are offering the service at a low cost so they use your website real estate to place banner ads that make them money.
2. You can’t get a custom template. You have to choose from the templates offered to you.
3. Someone else can get the same design that you choose and then you won’t have a unique website design.
4. Because you are using a website builder application to setup your website you may not have the ability to make your website SEO friendly.

I could spend more time on the Pro’s and Con’s but the bottom line is that you get what you pay for.   Web developers are experts at building websites to your needs.  Let us do the work for you and we can save you time and a lot of headaches!

What are those factors? Enumerated below are a few of them, some more important than others.

A perfect website design will always have the right type of keywords fitted in right places. It is due to this important fact that you should proceed with designing only after conducting a thorough keyword research. Check for the keywords that your competitors are using, and then devise a better plan.

 Directory Structure:

For a better website, you should never overlook the importance of having an accurate directory structure. It is a good idea to plan a horizontal directory structure, as it provides quick access to the search engines to pick up different files.

Optimized Images:

One important factor to consider is the type of images that you have on your site. Images enhance the visual appeal of your site, and make your site more informative, but optimize them for size. Avoid making them look blunt, or that will hamper the downloading speed.

Flash Files:

Flash files help to design a mesmerizing site, but it is advisable to avoid them. It is true that search engines are now in a better position to crawl and index these files, but never let your love for flash block quick access to the text.

These basic, but extremely important factors can have an impact on the site you design, to represent your business. However, there are other factors that keep changing due to a change in SEO rules and search engine preferences. That is why it is better to call in an experienced designer to help you have a quality website design.

If your website is not designed according to the SEO principles and rules, then you are not going to see many people coming to your website. This is so because a web design for SEO is going to help search engines to index your pages, which in turn helps buyers and searchers to find your website. However, the burning question is, how on earth can a person choose a web design for SEO? In order to solve this issue, you need to choose a design that complies with the following factors.

Code Optimization:

When selecting a design, make sure that you check its code, which should be optimized. For a fully optimized code, you should also pay attention to W3C compliance.

Pay Attention To The Visual Appeal:

Make efforts to enhance the look of your site, but don’t go overboard with the use of flash and heavy graphics. This sort of web design is not suitable for SEO purposes.

Font Size:

Most people overlook this important point and end up designing a website with unsuitable font sizes. The font size should neither be too big nor too large. However, make sure you choose a web design with such a font size that is suitable for your target audience. For instance, if your website sells insurance products to retirees, it is important to have a larger font size. The font should be smaller if your website is geared towards young audience.

These are just a few important features to consider for a better web design for SEO, but there are many others as well. Due to the complex nature of SEO web designing, you should try to get in touch with professional and experienced designers. That is a better way to put up a website that lures a lot of visitors.

To ensure that the website name you have chosen generates traffic, you have to connect the name with keywords that people can relate to. You must understand that the name that you choose and purchase will stay with you. For that reason, make sure that the domain name is one that is not trendy but rather something that will withstand the test of time. It will prove to be beneficial for your business and will help establish credibility. Businesses that change names every year fade from memory. You cannot afford to have that happen if you are serious about your business or promoting your website.

It is simple to create a name for your website, but make sure that the name is available with the domain registering authority. You can check to confirm its availability. Often, you can register your first choice. If it is not available, try something else that is close to it until you find one that no one else has. The next step is to ensure that the name does not violate any trademark. Once you have decided on the domain name, get it legally registered. Now you are ready to launch your website.

Initially, you may have to spend a lot of time choosing a business name, but never create something in a hurry. This name will be the brand of your company, so pick one with care so that you can live with for the rest of your life.

Two: Review your website statistics for the last 12 months – This will give you an idea of the traffic your website got month to month. Ideally, you should be checking this monthly to check that your marketing efforts are driving traffic to your website. You can also find out what keywords people typed in to find you! Google Analytics is a great tool you should have to help you with this in 2010. Give us a call for a setup quote.

Three: Update/Add Client Testimonials – It’s important to include all the great testimonials from your clients. One good testimonial can help sell your service.

Four: Update your Portfolio – Remember to show your work and successes! This will help sell your service and show how good you are at what you do.

Five: Update your website content – Be sure to review your website content for information that has changed or simply for information that needs to be added. Remember Google, Yahoo, Bing, and all the rest like websites with updated and fresh content.

Six: Review the purpose of your website – Here are some items to ponder:
- If the purpose is to generate leads -> then be sure to have a landing page with a leads form
- If it’s to sell products -> then be sure that your website has a functioning shopping car
- If it’s to share information -> then be sure that your website has a blog

Seven: Do you have a link on your website to your Facebook and Twitter accounts? – Social Media sites are here to stay and they offer a viral marketing benefit. Social Media is “The new word of mouth”. Don’t have links going to your Facebook and Twitter page? Give us a call for a quote. And if you need our service to setup your Facebook and Twitter page give us a call for a quote.

Eight: Have you reviewed what your competitor’s website looks like? – Check how you compare to your competition. It may be time to update/revamp your website.

Nine: Review your marketing efforts for 2009 – Check to see how much website traffic you received from the expensive ad in the paper, Yellow Pages, Yahoo, Google, etc. It may be time to adjust your marketing dollars. By the way, did you know you can track how much traffic you get from a Yellow Pages ad and any offline marketing? If you don’t know how to track offline ads give us a call and we can service your need. I bet you want to know if your offline marketing budget is giving you a good return on your investment (ROI).

Ten: Finally, review your 2009 website goals and write your goals for the next 12 months – What do you want to get from your website in 2010? Be sure to write a minimum of two action items for each goal. Remember Dreams are nothing but Goals with deadlines!

Wishing You a Happy and Successful 2010!